College  of  Agriculture,  University  of  Illinois. 


ADDRESSES 


DEDICATION 


AGRICULTURAL  BUILDING 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 


MAA"  21,  1901 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 

University  of  Illinois  Urbana-Champaign  Aiternates 


https://archive.org/details/addressesdedicatOOuniv 


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ADDRESS 


S.  Noble  King,  Blooming-ton. 

Chairman  of  Legislative  Committee  of  Illinois  Farmers’ Institute,  1899,  offi- 
cially representing  the  farmers  of  the  State  in  the  third  campaign  for  an 

Agricultural  Building. 

Just  fifty  years  ag-o,  at  the  first  farmers’  convention  held  in 
Illinois,  the  seed  was  planted  whose  fruitag-e  we  behold  in  the 
beautiful  building-  which  we  are  now  assembled  to  dedicate. 

This  convention  was  held  at  Granville,  Putnam  county,  and 
was  called,  “To  take  into  consideration  such  measures  as  mig-ht 
be  deemed  most  expedient  to  further  the  interests  of  the  ag-ricul- 
tural  community,  and  particularly  to  take  steps  toward  the  estab- 
lishment of  an  Agricultural  University.”  Among  the  resolutions 
introduced  by  Professor  Jonathan  B.  Turner,  of  Jacksonville, 
and  passed  by  the  convention  were  the  following  : 

Resolved,  That  we  greatly  rejoice  in  the  degree  of  perfection  to  which  our 
various  institutions,  for  the  education  of  our  brethren  engaged  in  professional, 
scientific,  and  literary  pursuits,  have  already  attained,  and  in  the  mental  and 
moral  elevation  which  those  institutions  have  given  them,  and  their  conse- 
quent preparation  and  capacity  for  the  great  duties  in  the  spheres  of  life  in 
which  they  are  engaged;  and  that  we  will  aid,  in  all  ways  consistent,  for  the 
still  greater  perfection  of  such  institutions. 

Resolved,  That  as  the  representatives  of  the  industrial  classes,  including 
all  cultivators  of  the  soil,  artisans,  mechanics,  and  merchants,  we  desire  the 
same  privileges  and  advantages  for  ourselves  and  our  posterity  in  each  of  our 
several  pursuits  and  callings  as  our  professional  brethren  enjoy  in  theirs,  and 
we  admit  that  it  is  our  own  fault  that  we  do  not  also  enjoy  them. 

Resolved,  That,  in  our  opinion,  the  institutions  originally  and  primarily 
designed  to  meet  the  wants  of  the  professional  classes  as  such,  can  not,  in  the 
nature  of  things,  meet  ours,  no  more  than  the  institutes  we  desire  to  establish 
for  ourselves  meet  theirs  ; therefore. 

Resolved,  That  we  take  immediate  measures  for  the  establishment  of  a 
University  in  the  State  of  Illinois,  expressly  to  meet  those  felt  wants  of  each 
and  all  the  industrial  classes  of  our  state. 

At  the  request  of  the  convention  Professor  Turner  submitted 
a carefully  thought  out  p Ian  for  an  Industrial  University  for  the 
State  of  Illinois. 


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Limitation  of  time  prevents  g-iving-  this  plan  in  full,  but 
extracts  from  it  will  show  that  he  had  a clear  and  definite  under- 
standing-of  the  needs  of  our  people.  He  said,  “What  do  the 
industrial  classes  want?  How  can  that  want  be  supplied? 

“ The  first  question  may  be  answered  in  few  words.  They 
want,  and  they  oug^ht  to  have,  the  same  facilities  for  under- 
standing the  true  philosophy,  the  science,  and  the  art  of  their 
several  pursuits  (their  life  business),  and  of  efficiently  applying 
existing  knowledge  thereto  and  widening  its  domain,  which  the 
professional  classes  have  long  enjoyed  in  their  pursuits.  Their 
first  labor  is,  therefore,  to  supply  a vacuum  from  fountains 
already  full,  and  bring  the  living  waters  of  knowledge  within 
their  reach.  Their  second  is  to  help  fill  the  fountains  with  still 
greater  supplies.  They  desire  to  depress  no  institution,  no  class 
whatever;  they  only  wish  to  elevate  themselves  and  their  pur- 
suits to  a position  in  society  to  which  all  men  acknowledge  they 
are  justly  entitled,  and  to  which  the}"  also  desire  to  aspire.  How, 
then,  can  that  want  be  supplied? 

“ In  answering  this  question  I shall  endeavor  to  present, 
with  all  possible  frankness  and  clearness,  the  outline  of  impres- 
sions and  convictions  that  have  been  gradually  deepening  in  my 
own  mind,  for  the  past  twenty  years,  and  let  them  pass  for 
whatever  the  true  friends  of  the  cause  may  think  them  worth. 
I answer  first  negatively,  that  this  want  can  not  be  supplied  by 
any  of  the  existing  institutions  for  the  professional  classes,  nor 
by  any  incidental  appendage  attached  to  them  as  a mere  second- 
ary department.  We  need  a university  for  the  industrial  classes 
in  each  of  the  states,  with  their  consequent  subordinate  insti- 
tutes and  high  schools  in  each  of  the  counties  and  towns.  The 
object  of  these  institutes  should  be  to  apply  existing  knowledge 
directly  and  efficiently  to  all  practical  pursuits  and  professions 
in  life,  and  to  extend  the  boundaries  of  our  present  knowledge 
in  all  possible  practical  directions.” 

Foreseeing  the  changes  that  would  occur  in  agricultural 
methods,  he  went  on  to  say: 

“There  should  be  connected  with  such  an  institution,  in 
this  state,  a sufficient  quantity  of  land  of  variable  soils  and 
aspect,  for  all  its  needful  annual  experiments  and  processes  in 
the  great  interests  of  agriculture  and  horticulture.  Buildings 
of  appropriate  size  and  construction  for  all  its  ordinary  and 


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special  uses;  a complete  philosophical,  chemical,  anatomical,  and 
industrial  apparatus;  a g-eneral  cabinet,  embracing-  everything- 
that  relates  to,  illustrates,  or  facilitates  any  one  of  the  indus- 
trial arts.  To  facilitate  the  increase  and  practical  application 
and  diffusion  of  knowledge,  the  professors  should  conduct,  each 
in  his  own  department,  a continual  series  of  annual  experiments. 
Let  the  professors  of  physiology  and  entomology  be  ever  abroad 
at  the  proper  seasons,  with  the  needful  apparatus  for  seeing 
all  things  visible  and  invisible,  and  scrutinizing  the  latent 
causes  of  all  those  blights,  blasts,  rots,  rusts,  and  mildews 
which  so  often  destroy  the  choicest  products  of  industry,  and 
thereby  impair  health,  wealth,  and  comfort  of  millions  of  our 
fellow-men.  Let  the  professor  of  chemistry  carefully  analyze 
the  various  soils  and  products  of  the  state,  retain  specimens, 
give  instructions,  and  report  on  their  various  qualities,  adapta- 
tions, and  deficiencies.  Let  similar  experiments  be  made  in  all 
other  interests  of  agriculture  and  mechanic  or  chemical  art. 
It  is  believed  by  many  intelligent  men  that  from  one-third  to 
one-half  the  annual  products  of  this  state  are  annually  lost  from 
ignorance  on  the  above  topics.  And  it  can  scarcely  be  doubted 
that  in  a few  years  the  entire  cost  of  the  whole  institution  would 
be  annually  saved  to  the  state  in  the  above  interests  alone,  aside 
from  all  its  other  benefits,  intellectual,  moral,  social,  and  pecu- 
niary.” 

Realizing  the  deficiency  of  available  information  on  these 
subjects,  he  added:  “I  should  have  said,  also,  that  a suitable 
industrial  library  should  be  at  once  procured,  did  not  all  the 
world  know  such  a thing  to  be  impossible,  and  that  one  of  the 
first  and  most  important  duties  of  the  professors  of  such  insti- 
tutions will  be  to  begin  to  create,  at  this  late  hour,  a proper 
practical  literature  and  series  of  text  books  for  the  industrial 
classes. 

“As  regards  the  professors,  they  should,  of  course,  not  only 
be  men  of  the  most  eminent,  practical  ability  in  their  several 
departments,  but  their  connection  with  the  institution  should 
be  rendered  so  fixed  and  stable  as  to  enable  them  to  carry 
through  such  designs  as  they  may  form,  or  all  the  peculiar  bene- 
fits of  the  system  would  be  lost.” 

That  he  spoke  as  a prophet  is  shown  by  the  following  quo- 
tation: “As  matters  now  are,  the  world  has  never  adopted  any 


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efficient  means  for  the  application  and  diffusion  of  even  the 
practical  knowledge  which  does  exist.  True,  we  have  fairly 
got  the  primer,  the  spelling  book,  and  the  newspaper  abroad 
in  the  world,  and  we  think  that  we  have  done  wonders;  and  so, 
comparatively,  we  have.  But  if  this  is  a wonder,  there  are  still 
not  only  wonders,  but,  to  most  minds,  inconceivable  miracles, 
from  new  and  unknown  worlds  of  light,  soon  to  break  forth 
upon  the  industrial  mind  of  the  world. 

“Here,  then,  is  a general  though  very  incomplete  outline  of 
what  such  an  institution  should  endeavor  to  become.  Let  the 
reader  contemplate  it  as  it  will  appear  when  generations  have 
perfected  it,  in  all  its  magnificence  and  glory;  in  its  means  of 
good  to  man,  to  all  men  of  all  classes;  in  its  power  to  evolve 
and  diffuse  practical  knowledge  and  skill,  true  taste,  love  of 
industry,  and  sound  morality,  not  only  through  its  apparatus, 
experiments,  instruction,  annual  lectures,  and  reports,  but 
through  its  thousands  of  graduates,  in  every  pursuit  of  life, 
teaching  and  lecturing  in  all  our  towns  and  villages,  and  then 
let  him  seriously  ask  himself:  Is  not  such  an  object  worthy  of 
at  least  an  effort,  and  worthy  of  a state  which  God  himself,  in 
the  very  act  of  creation,  designed  to  be  the  first  agricultural 
and  commercial  state  on  the  face  of  the  globe? 

“Who  should  set  the  world  so  glorious  an  example  of  edu- 
cating their  sons  worthily  of  their  heritage,  their  duty,  and 
their  destiny,  if  not  the  people  of  such  a state?  In  our  country 
we  have  no  aristocracy,  with  the  inalienable  wealth  of  ages,  and 
constant  leisure  and  means  to  perform  all  manner  of  useful  exper- 
iments for  their  own  amusement;  but  we  must  create  our 
nobility  for  this  purpose,  as  we  elect  our  rulers,  from  our  own 
ranks,  to  aid  and  serve,  not  to  domineer  over  and  control  us. 
And  this  done,  we  will  not  only  beat  England,  and  beat  the 
world  in  yachts  and  locks  and  reapers,  but  in  all  else  that  con- 
tributes to  the  well  being  and  true  glory  of  man.  I maintain 
that,  if  every  farmer’s  and  mechanic’s  son  in  this  state  could 
now  visit  such  an  institution  but  for  a single  day  in  the  year, 
it  would  do  him  more  good  in  arousing  and  directing  the  dor- 
mant energies  of  mind  than  all  the  cost  incurred,  and  far  more 
good  than  many  a six  months  of  professed  study  of  things  he 
never  needs  and  never  wants  to  know.” 

The  effort  of  this  convention  resulted  in  the  land  grant  act 


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of  1862,  which  provided — “ That  there  should  be  granted  to  each 
state  30,000  acres  of  government  land  for  every  senator  and 
representative  to  which  it  was  entitled  according  to  the  census 
of  1860.” 

Among  the  conditions  were  the  following: 

“ These  colleges  were  for  the  henejit  of  agriculture  and  the 
niechanic  arts.  The  object  of  it  all  was  to  promote  the  liberal 
and  practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes.  And  in  1868 
Illinois  established  its  college,  under  the  name  of  the  Illinois 
Industrial  University.” 

Founding 

While  no  difficulty  was  experienced  in  securing  teachers  for 
scientific  and  classical  courses  it  was  found  almost  impossible  to 
find  teachers  or  literature  for  the  agricultural  department. 
Principles  of  agricultural  science,  familiar  now  to  every  pro- 
gressive farmer,  were  at  that  time  undiscovered.  Under  these 
conditions  the  college  of  agriculture  had  a precarious  existence. 

After  a struggle  of  twenty-one  years  relief  came  through  an 
act  of  Congress— commonly  called  the  Hatch  Act — by  which 
$15,000  was  appropriated  to  each  of  the  states  to  establish 
“Agricultural  Experiment  Stations,”  under  the  direction  of  the 
College  of  Agriculture. 

A second  measure  of  relief  was  found  in  another  act  of  Con- 
gress by  which  an  appropriation  was  made  for  the  further  endow- 
ment and  support  of  the  colleges  of  agriculture  and  mechanic 
arts.  It  was  generally  supposed  that  the  agricultural  college 
of  Illinois  was  then  on  a basis  that  would  make  it  a credit  to 
the  state,  but  when  in  February,  1898,  the  Illinois  Farmers’ 
Institute  held  its  annual  meeting  at  the  University,  to  the  sur- 
prise and  disappointment  of  the  farmers  present  it  was  found 
that  the  buildings  belonging  to  the  agricultural  college  con- 
sisted of  three  wooden  barns.  The  necessity  of  having  a depart- 
ment in  our  State  University  in  which  the  sons  of  farmers,  or 
those  wishing  to  fit  themselves  for  agricultural  pursuits,  could 
have  the  advantage  of  scientific  instruction  equal  in  every 
respect  to  the  other  departments  was  recognized,  and  in  the  fol- 
lowing September,  at  a meeting  of  the  Board  of  Directors  of 
the  Illinois  Farmers’  Institute,  it  was  determined  to  ask  the 
legislature  for  an  appropriation  by  which  the  agricultural  col- 


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lege  could  be  placed  on  a basis  fitting  to  the  rank  which  this 
state  holds  in  agricultural  productions. 

Accordingly  a committee  from  the  State  Farmers’  Institute 
asked  the  legislature  for  an  appropriation  of  $150,000  for  a 
building  for  the  college  of  agriculture.  This  appropriation 
was  readily  granted,  and  we  now  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing 
the  building  ready  for  use.  Through  the  united  and  persistent 
efforts  of  the  farmers  of  Illinois  we  have,  after  thirty  years,  a 
college  of  agriculture  which  we  confidently  trust  will  be  an 
honor  to  this  great  state.  Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  the 
instructors  have  been  handicapped  by  want  of  proper  facilities 
and  equipment,  they  have  done  excellent  work,  proof  of  which 
is  found  in  the  fitness  of  graduates  to  fill  responsible  positions; 
one,  Mr.  F.  D.  Gardner,  lately  having  been  appointed  by  the 
United  States  government  to  take  charge  of  the  agricultural 
interests  in  the  island  of  Porto  Rico. 

But  we  must  remember  that  the  equipment  and  instruction 
are  only  helps  to  students.  Success  is  dependent  upon  personal 
effort. 

Already  we  have  been  gratified  by  honors  won  by  students 
of  this  college  at  the  inter-collegiate  live  stock  judging  contest 
at  Chicago,  and  we  unhesitatingly  predict  that  the  winning  of 
the  Spoor  trophy  will  be  only  the  beginning  of  the  honors  which 
shall  be  accorded  to  students  of  the  Illinois  College  of  Agri- 
culture. 


ADDRESS. 


A.  P.  Grout,  Winchester. 

Chairman  of  Committee  from  Illinois  Agricultural  Associations  which  drafted 
and  secured  the  passage  of  the  “Rankin  Bill,”  for  the  “Further  equip- 
ment of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  the  extension  of  the  work  of  the 
Experiment  Station.” 

This  occasion  marks  the  beg-inning-  of  a new  epoch  in  the 
history  of  ag’riculture  in  Illinois.  It  is  the  dawn  of  a new  era 
of  improvement  and  advancement  in  the  opportunities  and  pro- 
visions made  for  a hig-her  and  better  education  for  the  people — 
for  the  tillers  of  the  soil — that  g-reat  army  of  workers  who  are 
developing-  the  greatest  of  all  our  industries  and  who  have  here- 
tofore been  supposed  to  do  business  on  a very  limited  amount  of 
that  which  is  so  essential  to  success  in  almost  every  other  calling. 

Through  the  inspiration  of  this  hour,  we  are  encouraged  to 
assert  that  the  “world  does  move”  and  as  an  excuse  for  such 
rashness  we  have  but  to  point  to  the  magnificent  new  building 
— this  day  dedicated  to  agriculture — to  the  education  of  the  boys 
and  girls  of  Illinois  in  that  which  pertains  to  the  farm  and  the 
business  of  farming. 

That  this  great  boon  to  agriculture — the  greatest  industry 
of  Illinois — has  been  long  delayed  and  many  years  over  due, 
cannot  be  gainsaid,  but  the  delay  and  anxiety  incident  to  its  safe 
arrival  in  port,  with  a goodly  cargo  in  the  shape  of  the  finest 
building  devoted  to  agriculture  in  the  world,  and  a liberal  appro- 
priation for  education  and  investigations,  and  a most  able  and 
efficient  crew  of  workers  and  instructors,  goes  very  far  towards 
mitigating  our  complaints  and  gives  us  great  hopes  and  encour- 
agement for  the  future. 

Today  Illinois  is  to  be  congratulated  on  the  advanced  posi- 
tion it  has  taken  with  reference  to  agricultural  education  and 
proud  may  it  be  of  the  rank  thus  obtained. 

Agriculture  is  the  basis  of  all  industry,  and  education  is  the 
foundation  upon  which  the  superstructure  must  be  reared  to 
success. 

The  eyes  of  the  people  have  been  opened  and  their  under- 


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standing-  quickened.  Their  conception  of  the  business  of  farm- 
ing has  been  broadened  and  expanded  and  it  now  means  some- 
thing more  than  just  digging,  dropping  and  covering  the  seed 
and  gathering  the  harvest. 

The  discovery  has  been  made  that  farming  is  a business  to 
be  studied  and  learned  and  that  it  needs  the  trained  mind  as 
much  as  does  any  profession  that  places  alphabetical  endings  to 
the  names  of  graduates  from  literary  or  professional  schools. 

It  has  been  aptly  said  that  if  John  is  sent  to  college  to  take 
a course  in  law,  medicine  or  theology,  and  Tom  must  farm,  that 
it  is  only  fair  and  just  to  Tom  that  he  be  given  a course  in  agri- 
culture and  that  he  receive  the  same  training  and  have  the  same 
advantages  for  mental  discipline  and  technical  information  along 
the  line  of  his  life  work  as  his  brother.  Then  will  they  not 
only  be  placed  on  an  equality  from  a business  standpoint  but 
they  will  be  social  equals,  for  it  is  not  mere  work  that  separates 
men  socially  it  is  their  mentality. 

Farming  in  the  past  has  been  largely  a matter  of  brawn  but 
today  the  demand  is  for  more  brains.  The  situation  was  most 
aptly  stated  by  Kx-Secretary  of  Agriculture,  J.  Sterling  Morton 
when  he  said  that  “ the  farmer  shall  succeed  more  by  his  head 
than  his  hands.’'  It  is  with  pleasure  that  we  can  here  proclaim 
the  fact,  and  it  is  a matter  of  congratulation  for  the  friends  of 
agriculture  everywhere,  that  Illinois  has  at  last  awakened  to  a 
realization  of  the  situation — has  met  the  demands  of  the  hour, 
and  has  made  this  occasion  and  these  exercises  possible,  and  not 
only  possible  but  an  occasion  for  gratitude  and  pride  to  every 
farmer  and  every  one  interested  in  the  great  fundamental  indus- 
try in  the  grandest  agricultural  State  of  the  Union. 

The  awakening  has  come  and  Illinois  has  gone  on  record  as 
favoring  and  seeking  the  highest  and  most  advanced  type  of 
agriculture. 

Less  than  three  years  ago  Illinois  stood  far  down  on  the  list 
of  States,  as  regards  her  college  of  agriculture — almost  at  the 
foot  of  the  class — its  instructors  discouraged  and  disheartened — 
its  friends  and  promoters  disappointed  and  chagrined — its  bene- 
ficiaries given  over  to  ridicule  and  skepticism — its  management 
doubtful  as  to  the  utility  of  its  objects  and  uncertain  and  out  of 
date  as  to  its  value  and  importance  as  an  educational  factor — a 
college  in  name  only — sick  unto  death — a fit  subject  for  resur- 


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rection  and  new  life,  when  the  people,  the  farmers — represented 
by  the  Illinois  Farmers  Institute,  came  to  the  rescue,  took  up 
the  fig-ht  and  carried  on  the  strug-g-le  that  has  ended  in  the  finest 
building-  devoted  to  ag-riculture  in  the  world  and  an  ag-ricultural 
colleg-e  with  more  students  enrolled  during- the  present  year  than 
in  all  of  the  previous  years  of  its  history  combined. 

Having-  put  hand  to  the  plow,  for  the  advancement  of  agri- 
cultural education  and  the  building  up  of  a college  and  experiment 
station  that  shall  be  a credit  and  an  honor,  as  well  as  a perpet- 
ual benefit  to  the  State,  there  has  been  no  ^turning  back,  but  the 
past  winter  has  witnessed  the  development  of  a new  and  hereto- 
fore unknown  power  for  the  promotion  of  public  utility,  in  the 
concerted  and  harmonious  action  of  the  various  agricultural  organ- 
izations of  the  State.  The  Illinois  Live  Stock  Breeders’  Associ- 
ation— the  Corn  Growers — Corn  Breeders  and  Grain  Dealers 
Associations — The  Illinois  Farmers’  Institute — the  Horticultural 
Society — the  Dairymen’s  and  Sugar  Beet  Growers’ Associations — 
representing  the  bone  and  sinews  of  the  land — the  wealth  and 
taxpayers  of  the  State — the  solid  substantial  men — the  veritable 
salt  of  the  earth,  united  and  determined  in  the  promotion  of  such 
measures  as  shall  benefit  the  people  and  add  wealth  to  the  State, 
is  a power  that  cannot  be  resisted  or  turned  down. 

The  times  are  propitious  for  the  exercise  of  such  a power. 
The  people  are  sick  at  heart  and  nauseated  with  the  babblings 
of  would  be  politicians  and  statesmen  and  the  constant  parading 
of  the  great  bugbear  economy — not  for  economy’s  sake  but  for 
party’s  sake,  when  increased  educational  advantages  and  indus- 
trial knowledge  and  investigations  for  the  benefit  of  the  people 
are  demanded. 

The  time  was  when  the  pioneer  friends  of  agriculture  enter- 
tained great  hopes  for  the  building  up  of  a great  industrial  institu- 
tion of  learning  in  Illinois,  in  which  instruction  in  agriculture 
and  kindred  topics  should  be  made  as  prominent  as  the  superior 
agricultural  advantages  of  the  State  demanded. 

They  were  met  with  the  rebuff,  that  the  people  did  not  want 
it — that  they  were  not  asking  for  it  and  would  not  avail  them- 
selves of  any  advantages  that  might  be  offered,  but  above  all 
the  virtuous  politicians  and  legislators  were  opposed  to  taxing 
the  dear  people  to  provide  the  necessary  funds.  Cheap  reputa- 
tion for  economy,  dearly  bought  at  the  price  of  ignorance,  irrep- 


12 


arable  loss  of  fertility,  delayed  development  and  wasted  oppor- 
tunities. Such  are  some  of  the  conditions  that  led  the  various 
agricultural  organizations  of  the  State  to  unite  upon  one  com- 
mon plan  .and  concert  of  action,  and  effort,  to  secure  that  long 
delayed  recognition  for  our  college  of  agriculture  that  shall  place 
it  in  a position  to  creditably  represent  Illinois  as  an  educational 
institution  and  successfully  carry  out  the  plans  and  fulfil  the 
hopes  of  its  founders. 

In  unity  and  numbers  there  is  strength. 

The  individual  farmer  acting  alone  and  for  himself  counts  for 
very  little  in  shaping  public  affairs,  but  as  a member  of  an  organ- 
ized body  of  intelligent  and  thinking  men,  seeking  only  the  best 
interests  and  welfare  of  all  the  people,  and  no  private  or  per- 
sonal gain,  is  in  a position  to  exert  a most  powerful  and  salutary 
influence. 

The  agitation  of  one  man  or  of  any  number  of  men  not 
working  in  harmony  can  avail  little,  but  when  united  with 
one  common  object  and  purpose,  and  backed  by  numbers,  by 
intelligence,  by  fixedness  of  purpose,  and  by  standing  as  men  of 
affairs,  the  influence  wielded  is  immense. 

Agriculture  has  never  been  accorded  the  position  or  received 
the  recognition  from  our  State  government  that  its  magnitude 
and  importance  entitles  it.  Our  farmers  have  been  slow  to  assert 
their  rights  or  push  their  claims. 

Merit  and  justice  have  availed  little  or  naught,  against 
united  and  organized  effort. 

The  development  of  the  past  few  months  with  reference  to 
the  powerful  influences  that  can  be  exerted  for  the  shaping  and 
controlling  of  public  policy  by  organizations,  even  of  farmers — 
hayseeds  if  you  like — is  no  less  important  than  the  objects 
already  accomplished.  The  latent  powers  and  possibilities  of 
the  people  have  been  revealed  and  the  feasibility  of  their  em- 
ployment demonstrated. 

Through  the  influence  and  by  the  assistance  of  the  agricul- 
tural organizations,  Illinois  can  today  boast  of  one  of  the  finest 
— best  equipped  and  most  thoroughly  up-to-date  agricultural 
colleges  and  experiment  stations  in  the  world,  and  if  there  is 
anything  lacking  to  place  them  clearly  in  the  lead  they  have 
only  to  make  their  wants  known,  for  those  organizations,  that 


13 


are  of  the  people  and  for  the  people,  are  enlisted  in  their  service 
and  behalf  for  all  time  to  come. 

The  colleg'e  of  agriculture  belongs  to  the  people  and  more 
particularly  to  the  farmers  of  Illinois.  It  is  their  special  insti- 
tution of  learning  and  source  of  inspiration— the  place  where  the 
future  husbandmen  are  to  be  disciplined  and  grounded  in  the 
fundamental  principles  of  their  calling  and  fitted  for  their  life 
work.  It  is  the  fountain  from  which  may  be  derived  the  latest 
information  in  regard  to  all  farm  operations — the  place  for  study 
and  investigation  of  all  farm  problems  and  experiments. 

The  farmers  of  Illinois,  through  their  various  organizations 
have  assumed  the  right  to  say  what  kind  of  an  institution  it 
shall  be,  and  they  have  elected  to  say,  that  from  this  time  on, 
it  shall  fitly  represent  the  agricultural  interests  of  Illinois,  which 
means  that  it  shall  be  second  to  no  institution  of  the  kind  in  the 
land. 

I speak  advisedly  and  know  whereof  I speak.  I am  aware 
that  I am  making  the  assertion  in  the  presence  of  represen- 
tatives of  the  best  agricultural  colleges  in  the  United  States,  yet 
I have  no  hesitancy  in  saying  to  them,  do  your  best — and  we 
will  go  you  one  better. 

It  has  taken  time  to  educate  the  farmers  of  the  State  to  a 
just  appreciation  of  the  value  of  an  agricultural  education  and 
to  remove  from  their  minds  the  old  prejudice  against  book  farm- 
ing or  scientific  farming  or  any  kind  of  farming  that  savors  of 
anything  but  brawn  and  muscle — tireless  and  never  ending 
drudgery,  and  a reckless  waste  of  soil  fertility. 

Again  it  has  been  the  province  and  function  of  the  agri- 
cultural organizations  to  bring  the  farmers  and  the  agricultural 
college  into  closer  communion  and  to  a better  understanding  of 
the  wants  of  the  one  and  the  benefits  of  the  other. 

Through  the  agency  and  by  the  efforts  of  these  organiza- 
tions and  embodying  the  ideas  and  suggestions  of  Col.  Chas.  F. 
Mills  as  expressed  in  resolutions  introduced  by  him  at  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Live  Stock  Breeders’  Association,  it  has  been 
provided  by  statute  that  the  work  of  the  Illinois  Experiment 
Station  shall  be  carried  out  on  lines  to  be  agreed  upon  by  the 
Dean  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  committees,  represent- 
ing the  various  branches  of  agriculture,  to  be  selected  by  the 


14 


farmers  themselves.  Thus  is  the  work  of  the  colleg'e  and  station, 
and  the  wants  of  the  farmer  broug-ht  into  close  and  intimate 
relationship. 

The  association  of  the  leading-  farmers  of  the  State  and 
those  who  practice  the  hig-hest  type  of  ag-riculture,  in  org-aniza- 
tions,  for  the  purpose  of  leading-  the  farmers  of  Illinois  into 
better  and  more  intellig-ent  method— of  inculcating-  new  ideas — 
ideas  that  will  set  them  to  thinking-  and  studying-  and  which 
when  applied  will  result  in  the  most  advanced  agriculture,  is  an 
object  worthy  of  the  highest  commendation. 

The  success  already  achieved  and  the  good  accomplished  by 
the  agricultural  organizations  of  Illinois  acting  in  perfect  har- 
mony and  unanimity  of  purpose  and  for  the  promotion  and 
advancement  of  agriculture,  makes  them  the  pioneers  and  lead- 
ers in  this  work.  They  have  demonstrated  the  influence  and 
power  of  the  people — even  the  farmers,  when  organized  for  a 
purpose.  They  have  set  the  pace  for  the  good  work  all  over  the 
land.  They  have  given  an  impetus  to  agriculture  that  nothing 
can  check  or  stay.  Illinois  may  have  been  a little  slow  in  get- 
ting her  machinery  in  motion,  but  she  is  now  fully  aroused  as 
to  her  opportunities  and  possibilities. 

With  the  best  natural  advantages  of  soil,  climate,  and  loca- 
cation,  with  the  best  equipped  college  of  agriculture  in  the 
world,  backed  by  the  most  intelligent  and  progressive  body  of 
farmers  in  the  entire  country,  thoroughly  organized  and  keenly 
alive  to  every  move  that  may  effect  their  interests,  Illinois  may 
be  expected  to  forge  to  the  front  rank  in  everything  that  goes 
to  constitute  her  material  well  being  and  the  happiness  of  her 
people. 


ADDRESS 


Hon.  Henry  M.  Duneap,  Savoy. 

Member  of  the  Senate  from  the  thirtieth  district  and  in  charge  of  University 
appropriation  bills  when  the  appropriation  for  the  Agricultural  Building 
was  secured. 

The  University  of  Illinois,  known  at  that  time  as  the  Illi- 
nois Industrial  University  first  opened  its  doors  to  students  in 
1868.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  I,  a g-reen  country  boy  of  fifteen, 
entered  the  school  in  pursuit  of  an  agricultural  education.  The 
school,  and  I believe  I am  safe  in  calling-  it  simply  a school  even 
in  the  presence  today  of  one  who  was  at  that  time  a member  of 
its  faculty,  consisted  of  a dozen  teachers  and  ninety  students. 
The  equipment  was  a few  books  on  “How  Crops  Grow'’  and 
“Chemistry  of  Soils.” 

As  I drove  through  the  University  Campus  this  morning  on 
my  way  to  this  new  and  g-rand  edifice  erected  for  and  to  be  con- 
secrated to  the  uses  of  the  College  of  Agriculture,  I could  not 
help  but  contrast  the  present  with  the  past.  Then,  there  was 
the  one  building  which  served  as  a dormitory  to  house  the  stu- 
dent body,  a few  recitation  rooms,  a room  for  Chapel  exercises 
and  a room  for  a library.  No  equipment  for  the  chemical 
laboratory,  or  the  engineering  and  mechanical  departments. — 
The  department  of  science  was  handsomely  furnished  with  a 
pair  of  balances,  a microscope  of  limited  power,  and  a few  rocks. 
How  different  this  morning — the  old  building  to  which  we  have 
referred  has  disappeared  and  in  its  place  is  Illinois  Field;  at  the 
South  end  of  the  old  campus  is  Military  Hall;  as  we  proceed 
southward  on  Burrill  Avenue  to  the  right  and  left  are  the  Elec- 
trical and  Mechanical  Engineering  shops,  the  Engineering  build- 
ing proper,  the  Greenhouses,  the  President’s  house  and  the 
Natural  History  building,  the  Chemical  building  which  has 
outlived  its  usefulness  and  is  to  be  succeeded  by  a more  modern 
one,  the  handsome  Library  building  to  the  right  and  what  is 
now  known  as  the  oldyl^^.n  Hall  or  building  directly  in  our  path: 
as  we  circle  this  latter  to  the  right  or  left  we  come  into  full  view 
of  the  Experiment  Station  buildings  and  barns.  Astronomical 


15 


16 


observatory  and  last  but  by  no  means  least  this  grand  structure 
which  we  are  here  today  to  dedicate  to  the  uses  of  Illinois’  agri- 
culture. In  addition  to  the  buildings  enumerated  each  of  them 
is  filled  with  apparatus  and  equipped  for  instruction  and  investi- 
gation second  to  none  in  the  United  States. 

Now  the  student  body  is  composed  of  1700  students  whose 
opportunity  for  education  before  entering  the  university  is  almost 
as  far  in  advance  of  that  of  the  students  of  the  earlier  days 
as  are  the  advantages  now  offered  by  the  University  superior 
to  those  of  that  time.  As  my  memory  reverts  to  that  olden 
time  I recall  that  student  body  as  an  earnest,  rather  poorly  clad, 
enthusiastic,  lively  and  mischief-loving  band  of  boys  from  the 
farm  and  village.  Few  were  possessed  of  a high  school  educa- 
tion, and  many  minus  even  that  of  a good  common  school.  But 
they  were  earnest  intelligent  and  many  have  made  their  mark 
in  life  since  the  old  college  days.  This  demonstrates  to  my 
mind  that  if  a student  possesses  capacity  for  an  education  it 
matters  but  little  whether  he  is  examined  for  entrance  to  the 
University  or  not.  Previous  opportunity  has  much  to  do  with 
whether  he  can  leap  a pole  set  at  a certain  height  on  the  field 
of  mental  gymnastics,  but  it  has  but  little  to  co  with  his  after- 
success in  University  studies.  Many  good  students,  eager  for 
knowledge,  are  frightened  aw^ay  because  of  their  inability  to 
pass  certain  requirements  of  admission  set  forth  in  the  catalog. 
Better  do  away  with  tests  for  admission  and  require  more  for 
graduation. 

Domiciled  in  the  old  building  which  answered  for  all  the 
departments  of  a great  University,  we  went  forth  to  study  agri- 
culture, “as  she  was  taught.”  Daily  the  student  body  was 
assembled,  counted  off  into  squads  of  ten  with  a leader  for  each. 
There  with  professors  to  the  right  of  us,  professors  to  the  left 
of  us,  instructors  in  front  and  rear  of  us,  with  hoes,  rakes, 
wheelbarrows,  baskets,  spades,  and  all  sorts  of  agricultural 
implements  invented  to  tickle  mother  earth  into  bountiful  har- 
vests we  went  forth  to  study  “ that  art  which  doth  mend  nature,” 
for  two  hours  each  day.  As  a member  of  what  the  rest  of  the 
boys  dubbed  the  “infant  squad”  I went  out  daily  with  the  mul- 
titude and  raked  in  such  crumbs  of  practical  agriculture  as  were 
scattered  in  my  vicinity  by  the  professors  of  ancient  languages 
and  literature,  or  mathematics,  or  the  instructor  in  military 


17 


tactics,  all  of  whom  were  expected  to  be  equally  expert  in  the 
science  of  agriculture  as  taught  in  those  days.  Since  leaving 
the  institution  if  I have  made  any  success  as  a farmer  it  is  due 
no  doubt  to  the  instruction  in  practical  agriculture  I received 
from  the  professor  of  literature  and  art  of  the  best  manner  in 
which  a hoe  should  be  held  in  cutting  down  “Jimpson”  weeds. 
If  I have  made  a success  in  horticulture  it  is  due  to  the  instruc- 
tion I received  in  picking  and  packing  tomatoes  on  the  site  of 
where  the  Library  Building  now  stands  under  the  instruction 
of  the  professor  of  horticulture,  one  who  from  those  primitive 
methods  of  instruction  has  advanced  to  a world-wide  reputation 
as  a bacteriologist  and  to  the  position  of  dean  of  the  faculty. 
Our  instruction  in  the  class  room  consisted  in  having  a chapter 
in,  “ How  Crops  Grow”  read  and  commented  upon  by  the  pro- 
fessor of  agriculture.  Wearisome  hours  were  spent  in  this 
unprofitable  work  in  reading  books  whose  titles  I remember  if 
I have  forgotten  their  contents.  Thus  it  was  that  agriculture 
was  taught  in  ‘‘ye”  olden  time,  and  the  wonder  was  that  agricul- 
tural education  did  not  prove  popular  with  the  student.  We 
can  now  see  that  the  fault  was  not  with  the  wonderful  truths 
of  nature  but  with  the  means  and  crude  methods  of  their  pre- 
sentation. All  of  this  was  but  a beginning  of  a better  system 
of  instruction,  a groping  after  better  methods  which  have  since 
taken  the  place  of  this  mistaken  and  immature  beginning.  All 
of  this  is  not  offered  in  criticism,  but  as  an  illustration  of  what 
has  been  accomplished  in  the  past  third  of  a century  in  the 
development  of  agricultural  education.  Of  the  instructors  of 
those  days  be  it  said  that  “ they  did  the  best  they  could,”  and 
the  student  of  that  day  got  the  best  there  was  at  the  time.  Some 
of  those  instructors  have  since  risen  to  prominence  and  occupy 
foremost  positions  of  honor  in  the  University — and  have  reputa- 
tions in  their  professions  that  are  world-wide. 

Learning  and  Labor  was  the  watchword  then  as  now  and 
from  this  humble  beginning  has  come  a system  of  instruction  in 
the  class  room  and  field  laboratory  that  has  caused  the  building 
of  this  immense  structure  for  carrying  forward  the  cause  of  agri- 
cultural education.  We  welcome  the  dawn  of  a better  day  along 
this  line,  more  intelligent  methods,  for  investigation  and  instruc- 
tion mean  better  methods  in  the  treatment  of  our  soils,  our  crops, 
and  our  live  stock.  It  means  a better  home  for  the  farmer,  a 


18 


higher  standing  in  the  social  and  economic  life  of  the  farmer 
in  his  association  with  people  engaged  in  other  pursuits.  The 
intelligent  farmer  of  the  future  will  occupy  such  position  as  he 
carves  out  for  himself.  The  opportunity  is  his.  If  he  respects 
himself  and  his  calling  others  will  respect  him  anjd  it.  Today 
we  have  reached  a point  where  we  can  see  that  agriculture  at 
the  University  of  Illinois  is  what  we  make  it.  If  it  is  popular 
it  will  be  because  the  instruction  is  of  the  best,  the  instructors 
enthusiastic  in  their  work  and  the  methods  of  such  a nature  as 
shall  interest  and  instruct  intelligent  students  who  “ want  to 
know^’  and  want  to  know  by  the  quickest  and  best  route.  From 
one  or  two  text  books  you  now  have  many,  from  one  or  two 
instructors  you  now  count  them  by  the  dozen,  from  one  room 
shared  with  other  interests  you  have  developed  into  an  immense 
building,  all  your  own,  equipped  with  the  best  apparatus  for  in- 
struction in  the  land.  Agricultural  education  at  the  University 
of  Illinois  has  left  the  past  behind  and  must  now  press  forward 
to  the  future.  The  methods  of  today  while  perfect  as  compared 
to  early  beginnings  will  be  cast  aside  and  regarded  as  obsolete 
in  the  near  future.  We  cannot  stand  still,  we  must  press  for- 
ward for  if  we  do  not  we  go  backward.  The  great  agricultural 
interests  of  Illinois  are  watching  you.  New  buildings,  better 
equipments,  improved  facilities  bring  new  responsibilities. 
While  we  have  been  satisfied  in  the  past  with  moderate  results, 
or  none  at  all,  we  now  expect  great  things  of  you.  You  must 
measure  up  to  a new  standard  and  we  have  faith  that  you  will 
not  be  found  wanting.  If  satisfactory  results  come  from  money 
wisely  expended  there  is  no  doubt  but  what  Illinois  will  take  care 
of  her  own.  Let  it  be  remembered  that  there  is  much  truth  in 
the  saying  from  the  book  of  books,  ‘‘  To  those  that  have  shall 
be  given  and  from  those  who  have  not  shall  be  taken  away.”  If 
you  succeed,  much  will  be  added,  if  you  fail,  much  that  you 
have  will  be  taken  away. 

Agricultural  development  in  the  past  twenty-five  years  has 
come  largely  through  wise  legislation.  • The  establishment  by 
the  General  Government  of  State  Universities  and  State  Experi- 
ment Stations  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land 
and  the  equipment,  by  the  State,  of  buildings,  apparatus,  and 
means  of  instruction  has  done  more  in  the  past  twenty-five  years 
to  bring  the  science  of  agriculture  to  its  proper  position  than  is 


19 


generally  known.  Earnest  men  and  women,  Stock  Breeders’’ 
Associations,  Dairymen’s  Associations,  Boards  of  Agriculture, 
Horticultural  Societies,  Farmers’  Institutes,  Poultry  Breeders’ 
Associations  and  kindred  organizations,  are  in  a great  measure 
due  to  appropriations  made  by  the  legislature  of  this  and  other 
States.  All  of  these  organizations  made  strong  by  State  aid 
have  contributed  much  in  securing  proper  recognition  for  agri- 
culture at  the  hands  of  the  General  Assembly  of  this  State  in 
the  erection  and  equipment  of  this  grand  edifice. 

To  those  in  charge  of  this  great  work  of  agricultural  edu- 
cation I wish  to  extend  hearty  congratulations,  your  success  in 
the  future  will  depend  upon  whether  you  keep  close  to  the  peo- 
ple interested — to  what  they  need  and  require — to  those  things 
the  knowledge  of  which  will  make  them  better  farmers  and 
better  citizens — to  those  things  that  are  practical  as  well  as 
educational.  If  you  will  but  carry  out  in  good  faith  the  motto 
of  this  great  University  and  link  “ Learning  and  Labor”  in  very 
truth,  you  will  meet  our  expectations.  Dignify  labor  with 
learning  and  make  it  intelligent  and  self-respecting  and  you 
will  bring  about  a new  era  in  agriculture  which  will  redound 
to  the  good  of  the  state  and  of  the  people. 


ADDRESS 


L.  H.  Kerrick,  Blooming-tori. 

Member  Illinois  Live  Stock  Breeders’  Association  and  President  Illinois 
Cattle  Feeders’  Association. 

Mr.  President,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  : If  I should  say 
that  agriculture  is  the  first — the  g-reatest — the  inost  honorable 
business  of  the  world,  I would  only  be  saying-  ag-ain  what  the 
best  and  wisest  men  of  every  ag^e  have  said  before. 

But  a g-reat  number  of  people  do  not  so  reg-ard  ag-riculture; 
they  are  prone  to  look  upon  it  as  a useful,  possibly  as  a neces- 
sary business,  albeit  a very  simple  one  suited  to  the  ability  and 
uncultivated  tastes  of  plain  people. 

Almost  any  other  vocation  they  esteem  more  honorable,  and 
preferable  to  tilling-  the  ground  and  tending  the  herd. 

This  mistaken  attitude  toward  agriculture  is  not  universal, 
but  it  has  been  and  is  still  far  too  general. 

In  the  common  mind  agriculture  is  the  inferior — other  call- 
ings the  superior.  The  largest  case  in  all  history  of  “cart 
before  the  horse”  is  that  one  wherein  so  great  a part  of  mankind 
have  so  persistently  put  agriculture  in  the  rear — in  the  less  hon- 
orable place,  while  other  vocations  are  put  to  the  front  in  the 
position  of  honor. 

In  the  whole  hook-up  of  our  civilization  this  “wrong  end 
to”  position  of  things  is  strongly  in  evidence. 

This  common  under-estimation  of  agriculture,  and  the  com- 
mon aversion  or  distaste  for  agricultural  pursuits,  and  the  gen- 
eral trend  of  people  and  institutions  away  from  the  farm  and 
farm  life,  toward  professional  life  or  any  kind  of  life  but  farm 
life,  have  been  long  noted  and  deplored  by  observing  and  right- 
thinking  men. 

They  have  profoundly  affected  all  social,  political  and  eco- 
nomic relations  and  conditions.  They  have  upset  the  proper 
balance  of  city  and  rural  population.  There  are  too  few  people 
on  the  farms,  too  many  in  the  cities.  There  are  not  enough 
people  on  the  farm  to  do  the  work  well,  while  in  the  city  there 


20 


21 


are  two  or  three  times  as  many  as  are  needed  to  do  the  work 
there.  There  is  boundless  room  and  unlimited  living-  employ- 
ment in  the  country,  while  there  is  crowding-  and  poverty  and 
strife  and  strikes  in  the  city,  for  lack  of  living-  employment. 

A few  years  ag-o  there  was  a g-reat  strike  in  Chicag-o.  I do 
not  now  remember  just  what  precipitated  it- -no  matter,  at  bot- 
tom the  cause  of  all  strikes  is  too  many  people  needing-  the  same 
job.  During-  this  particular  strike  the  storm  for  a while  centered 
about  some  g-rain  elevators.  Thousands  of  men  threatened  to 
pull  down  or  break  in  the  elevators  and  help  themselves  to  the 
wheat.  At  that  time  those  elevators  were  filled  with  the  cheap- 
est wheat  that  was  ever  raised  in  the  world;  but  there  were  so 
many  people  in  Chicag-o  who  had  no  business  there — no  living- 
business,  that  they  could  not  all  earn  enoug-h  to  buy  enoug-h  to 
eat  of  the  cheapest  bread  the  world  ever  had. 

This  pulling-  away  from  the  farms  could  not  affect  every 
other  condition  and  institution  and  leave  our  g-reatest  institu- 
tion, our  schools,  unaffected. 

And  what  a country  of  schools  is  this!  Who  can  count  our 
schools?  They  are  like  the  stars  which  no  man  can  number. 

But  our  schools,  big-,  little  and  medium,  public  and  private, 
have  been  dominated  in  their  org-anization  and  in  their  teaching- 
by  this  same  anything--but-farming-  spirit. 

They  have  taug-ht  our  farmers’  boys  and  g-irls  about  every- 
thing- under  the  sun  except  those  very  thing-s  they  need  and 
must  know  to  make  their  work  and  business  attractive,  satisfy- 
ing-, successful. 

The  attitude  of  the  schools  toward  ag-riculture  has  been 
something- like  this: — Anybody  can  farm.  You  do  not  have  to 
learn  to  farm.  You  just  know  it  without  having-  to  learn.  There 
is  not  much  to  learn  about  it  anyway.  There  is  no  science,  no 
art  about  farming-.  You  do  not  g-o  to  school  to  learn  how  to 
farm  better;  you  do  not  have  to.  You  g-o  to  school  to  learn  how 
to  do  something-  else,  so  you  may  not  have  to  farm.  Only  those 
people  who  can  not  do  something-  else,  work  at  farming-.  Strange! 
All  this  is  passing  strange,  since  if  we  but  think  for  a moment 
we  know  that  had  it  not  been  for  the  farming  which  went  before 
them,  never  a book  would  have  been  written,  never  a school 
house  built  on  the  earth. 

Agriculture  is  the  science  of  science,  the  art  of  arts. 


22 


When  every  other  art  and  science  shall  have  been  thought 
and  wrought  out  to  its  utmost  limit,  the  science  and  practice  of 
agriculture  will  still  present  boundless  unexplored  fields  for 
work  and  research  and  reward,  wherein  every  faculty  of  mind 
and  body  with  which  man  is  endowed  may  find  the  fullest,  the 
most  satisfying,  the  most  inspiring  exercise  and  employment. 

Do  not  misunderstand  me,  I say  nothing  against  our  schools. 
They  are  good.  They  do  their  work  well.  That  such  a system 
of  public  and  private  schools  as  ours,  with  its  mighty  teaching 
force  and  its  vast  material  equipment  should  have  been  evolved 
in  so  short  a period  of  time,  is  a matter  to  excite  our  wonder 
and  compel  our  highest  admiration. 

For  zeal,  for  self-sacrifice,  for  untiring  labors  in  behalf  of 
our  youth,  that  they  become  intelligent  worthy  men  and  women 
and  patriotic  citizens,  I say  of  our  whole  great  army  of  teachers, 
from  the  presidents  of  our  universities  and  colleges  to  the  hum- 
bler but  not  less  useful  district  school  teachers,  there  live  no 
better,  nobler,  more  helpful  men  and  women  than  they. 

But  just  as  earnestly  I say  that  our  schools  and  our  school 
teachers  have  been  nearly  all  looking  one  way,  and  that  way 
has  been  away  from  the  farm.  Is  it  anybody’s  fault?  No;  it 
is  everybody’s  fault.  It  is  the  colossal  fault  of  our  time  and  our 
generation,  to  underestimate  the  dignity,  the  beauty,  the  profit, 
and  the  honor  of  farming  and  farm  life. 

This  wrong  attitude  of  our  schools  toward  agriculture  has 
of  course  tended  strongly  to  draw  young  people  from  farm  life 
to  professional  life. 

The  schools  have  been  turning  out  too  many  doctors,  too 
many  lawyers,  too  many  professors.  There  is  no  need  for  them 
all,  but  they  have  been  taken  too  often  from  the  farm  where 
there  is  need  of  them.  The  professors  have  rather  the  best  of 
it  because  they  can  go  on  helping  to  turn  out  more  doctors  and 
more  lawyers  and  more  professors. 

To  say  the  so-called  learned  professions  are  full,  pressed 
down  and  running  over,  is  only  hinting  at  their  actual  condition. 

Something  over  a year  ago,  I read  in  a Chicago  paper  an 
account  of  graduating  exercises  which  took  place  at  the  Chicago 
University.  Let  me  quote  you  verbatim  a part  of  President 
Harper’s  address  to  the  graduates,  as  it  was  reported. 

“You  who  are  now  entering  the  world  will  find  that  poverty  will  be  the 


23 


strongest  opponent  to  overcome.  You  who  are  entering  life  as  lawyers  need 
only  look  at  the  papers  today  to  find  that  the  average  lawyer  does  not  earn 
his  salt.  Those  who  will  become  physicians  will  find  that  their  only  compan- 
ion for  a few  years  to  come  will  be  the  wolf  at  the  door;  while  those  who  go 
forth  to  teach,  need  only  to  witness  the  struggles  of  the  school  teachers  in  this 
city.  The  school  board  is  beset  with  howls  and  wails  for  an  increase  of  sal- 
aries.” 

This  in  that  great  and  rich  and  growing-  metropolis,  Chi- 
cago, a city  affording  as  great  or  greater  and  more  opportunities 
for  men  and  women  trained  for  the  learned  professions  than  any 
other  city  ; yet  even  there  the  prospect  held  out  to  those  gradu- 
ates by  the  president  was  years  of  starvation.  If  some  other 
fellows  had  not  the  strength  to  fast  as  long  as  these  graduates, 
then  they  might  eventually  get  the  other  fellows  places. 

The  first  duty  of  an  educated  able  bodied  man  is  to  make  his 
own  living. 

The  man  who  is  not  in  some  way,  at  some  point  doing  an 
amount  of  the  world’s  necessary  work  equal  to  that  required  for 
the  support  of  one  man,  is  a burden  on  society. 

Do  any  of  you  fear  that  President  Draper  or  Dean  Daven- 
port will  ever  say  to  a class  graduating  from  this  agricultural 
college:  Gentlemen: — You  are  going  out  to  the  farms.  You 
have  not  mastered  the  whole  of  agricultural  science,  that  will 
not  be  done  by  any  living  or  yet  to  live,  but  you  have  done  your 
work  well  in  the  college  and  you  are  well  equipped  for  your  bus- 
iness; however,  I feel  obliged  to  say  to  you  that  poverty  will  be 
the  strongest  opponent  you  will  have  to  overcome.  The  average 
farmer  is  not  earning  his  salt — that  is,  for  his  personal  consump- 
tion mind  you,  let  alone  the  cattle  and  horse  critters.  The  only 
companion  you  will  have  for  some  years  to  come  will  be  the  wolf 
at  the  door. 

I just  as  much  expect  to  read  of  such  a speech  having  been 
made  here,  to  a class  graduating  from  this  agricultural  college, 
as  I expect  to  find  myself  tomorrow  morning,  sitting  on  some 
distant  star  reading  that  last  night  the  cables  of  gravitation 
parted  down  here  and  the  whole  planetary  outfit  fell  to  everlast- 
ing smash-up. 

Thirty-four  years  ago  there  was  organized  here  an  Indus- 
trial University.  Not  a university  of  the  general  sort  but  of 
another  sort,  a new  kind  of  university.  A university  differing 
in  its  organization — differing  in  its  leading  studies  and  in  its 


24 


aims  and  purposes  from  those  already  established  in  many  parts 
of  the  country.  The  courses  of  study  in  the  colleg’es  and  univer- 
sities existing-  when  this  new  university  was  org-anized  were 
adapted  only  to  fit  men  for  the  so-called  learned  professions,  law, 
medicine,  etc.  In  this  new  university  the  leading-  studies  were 
those  related  to  ag-riculture  and  the  mechanic  arts.  Whereas 
the  other  universities  tended  to  withdraw  their  students  from 
the  pursuits  of  industry,  this  new  university  would  aim  by  link- 
ing- learning-  more  closely  to  labor  and  by  bring-ing-  the  lig-ht  of 
science  more  fully  to  the  aid  of  the  productive  arts,  to  enamor 
the  sons  and  daug-hters  of  the  farmer  and  the  artisan  with  their 
pursuits.  There  is  no  law  in  Illinois  establishing-  a university 
of  the  g-eneral  or  older  sort.  There  never  has  been  such  a law. 
There  is  a law  establishing-  an  industrial  university.  If  this 
university  has  any  leg-al  existence  or  standing-,  it  is  as  an  indus- 
trial university.  By  the  intention  of  its  founders,  by  its  org-anic 
law,  by  its  lawfully  authorized  courses  of  study,  by  the  will  of 
the  people  of  Illinois  it  is  an  industrial  university,  not  less,  not 
more. 

In  his  address  delivered  on  the  occasion  of  the  inaug-uration 
of  the  Illinois  Industrial  University — that  g-reat  man,  Dr.  Newton 
Bateman  said  : 

“What  then  is  the  grand  distinguishing  feature,  purpose,  hope  of  this 
university  ? In  my  view  it  is  to  form  a closer  alliance  between  labor  and 
learning  —between  science  and  the  manual  arts,  between  man  and  nature* 
between  the  human  soul  and  God,  as  seen  and  revealed  through  His  works. 

“ It  is  to  endeavor  so  to  wed  the  intellect  and  hearts  of  the  students  we 
educate,  to  the  matchless  attractions  of  rural  and  industrial  life,  that  they  will 
with  their  whole  soul  prefer  and  choose  that  life  and  consecrate  to  it  the 
results  of  skill  and  power  that  may  here  be  gained.  These  I hold  to  be  the 
aims  of  this  university.  And  we  hope  to  attain  them,  not  by  a less  expensive 
and  thorough  course  of  instruction  than  is  given  in  other  universities,  but  by  a 
somewhat  different  course  and  more  especially  by  emphasizing  from  the  begin- 
ning to  the  end  those  studies  and  sciences  which  look  away  from  the  literary 
and  professional  life  and  toward  the  pursuits  of  the  agriculturist  and  the 
artisan.” 

Cong-ress  in  1862  made  a liberal  g-rant  of  land  scrip  to  each 
State  of  the  Union  for  the  endowment,  support  and  maintenance 
of  at  least  one  colleg-e  in  the  several  States  accepting-  the  bene- 
fits of  the  g-rant,  whose  leading-  object  should  be  to  teach 
branches  of  learning-  as  related  to  agriculture  and  the  mechanic 
arts,  without  excluding  other  scientific  and  classical  studies  and 


25 


including-  military  tactics,  in  order  to  promote  the  liberal  and 
practical  education  of  the  industrial  classes  in  the  several  pur- 
suits and  professions  of  life. 

The  act  of  cong-ress  was  the  origin  of  our  university.  The 
legislature  of  Illinois  by  an  act  providing  for  the  organization 
and  maintenance  of  the  Illinois  Industrial  University  re-enacted 
the  act  of  congress  in  identical  words. 

The  State  of  Illinois  might  have  organized  and  provided  for 
the  maintenance  of  a university  of  the  established  or  general 
sort,  having  colleges  of  law,  medicine,  etc.,  including  a college 
of  agriculture  and  mechanic  arts,  but  she  did  not,  and  has  not. 
The  perfectly  obvious  intent  of  the  legislature  was  to  establish 
a peculiar  university,  contra-distinguished  from  that  other  kind 
in  that  its  leading  studies  should  relate  to  agriculture  and  the 
mechanic  arts,  other  classical  and  scientific  studies  being  per- 
missible when  and  to  the  extent  that  they  might  subserve  the 
single  great  purpose,  namely,  the  thorough  and  liberal  and  com- 
plete education  of  the  farmer  and  the  artisan;  this  end  and  pur- 
pose being  accomplished,  the  whole  purpose  of  the  University 
is  accomplished.  It  was  deemed  by  the  founders  that  there  were 
enough  of  the  universities  of  the  other  kind,  and  that  more  were 
not  needed.  If  no  need  in  ’67  of  establishing  a university  of  the 
general  sort,  what  need  now  can  there  be  when  within  the  bor- 
ders of  our  state  there  is  building  by  private  beneficence,  with- 
out charge  to  any  tax  payer,  what  will  with  scarcely  a doubt 
become  the  most  completely  equipped  and  the  most  comprehen- 
sive in  its  round  of  learning  and  the  most  richly  endowed  uni- 
versity in  the  world. 

About  three  years  ago,  when  this  University  had  been  here 
more  than  thirty  years;  when  in  all  there  had  been  expended 
upon  it  $4,000,000  or  $5,000,000,  the  Illinois  Farmers’  Institute 
appointed  a committee  to  visit  the  University  and  see  how  it 
was  faring  with  agriculture  here. 

The  committee  made  its  visit  and  investigation  and  reported 
that  they  found  an  agricultural  plant  worth  about  $7,000 — 
$7,000  ! Shades  of  the  founders  ! Excuse  us  farmers  for  what 
we  could  not  help  and  forgive  us  for  what  we  could  have  helped 
but  did  not. 

But,  my  friends,  I doubt  very  much  if  Turner  and  Bateman 
and  Gregory  and  their  co-laborers  would  have  any  harsh  words 


26 


for  us  if  they  could  communicate  with  us.  They  saw  how  the 
educational  wind  was  blowing-  from  the  farm  to  the  town,  from 
agricultural  to  professional  life,  before  they  went.  It  was  only 
a breeze  in  their  day,  but  maybe  from  their  spirit  homes  they 
have  seen  that  breeze  increase  to  a blizzard,  sweeping  things 
toward  the  town  and  toward  the  occupations  of  the  town,  as 
that  other  kind  of  blizzard  sweeps  the  snow  of  the  plain  upon 
the  hamlet  in  its  path. 

I am  ready  to  believe  that  those  good  men  if  they  thought 
we  could  hear  them,  instead  of  chiding  us,  would  say,  boys,  you 
“did  nobly”  even  to  hold  down  your  little  cow  barns  in  such  a 
gust. 

I have  not  much  to  say  about  the  $7,000  plant.  When  the 
farmers  heard  about  it,  a movement  to  right  things,  general, 
intelligent,  'determined,  irresistible,  was  begun.  This  great 
agricultural  building  is  one  of  the  fruits  of  that  movement. 
The  generous  appropriation  by  the  last  legislature  for  better 
equipment  of  the  plant,  and  for  other  purposes  of  the  college  is 
another  fruit  of  that  movement.  There  will  be  other,  perennial 
crops  of  good  fruit  which  that  movement  will  bear. 

Farmers  are  conservative;  they  are  not  easily  moved  indi- 
vidually and  are  harder  to  move  en  masse,  but  when  they  move 
other  things  will  be  moved  that  need  moving.  If  the  University 
ship  has  been  turned  from  its  right  course,  little  or  much,  or  if 
it  has  been  turned  right  about  and  headed  the  wrong  way,  the 
farmers  will  surely  swing  her  round  again  and  send  her  on  her 
appointed  way.  They  know  her  mission  ; it  was  clearly  mapped 
out  from  the  beginning,  and  knowing  it  they  will  see  to  it  that 
she  have  a chance  to  accomplish  that  mission. 

Lest  some  might  think  otherwise,  let  me  say  I have  not 
spoken  a word  in  any  spirit  of  complaining — not  a word  intended 
as  an  arraignment  of  anybody  for  what  may  have  been  done  or 
left  undone  in  or  concerning  this  University. 

There  has  been  lack  of  information  and  consequent  misun- 
derstanding and  disagreement  among  the  people  as  to  the  true 
and  lawful  character,  scope  and  purpose  of  our  University.  I 
have  deemed  it  my  right,  perhaps  my  duty  as  a citizen  and 
farmer,  to  set  forth  here  those  purposes. 

And  let  no  one  infer  from  any  utterance  of  mine  that  I take 
an  unfavorable  or  gloomy  view  of  matters  and  events  in  general. 


27 


I believe  that  the  preponderance  of  human  intention  and  human 
effort  is  toward  the  g'ood.  I believe  that  the  prevailing'  course 
and  tendency  of  human  institutions  is  toward  the  better.  They 
may  travel  sometimes  obliquely — zig-zag- — wrong  end  foremost — 
up  side  down — or  even  at  times  seem  to  go  backwards,  but  alto- 
gether they  get  onward  and  upward. 

Good  things — better  things— the  best  things  come  not  at 
once,  but  by  evolution,  step  by  step  from  imperfection  to 
excellence. 

Agriculture  is  the  peculiar  science  ; in  its  beginnings  simple 
indeed — simplest  of  all  ; in  its  higher  development  we  shall  see 
it  growing  complex,  comprehensive,  drawing  to  its  aid,  assim- 
ilating and  rendering  subservient  all  sciences  and  becoming  in 
its  fullest  development  the  master  science. 

Since  the  children  of  men  however  simple  and  unlearned 
must  live  and  maintain  themselves  on  the  earth,  and  since  they 
could  live  only  upon  the  products  of  the  tilled  field,  it  was 
necessary  that  they  be  able  to  provide  the  means  of  sustaining 
life  by  the  simplest  methods  of  field  culture. 

That  kind  providence  which  cares  for  all  living  things,  so 
ordered  his  laws  that  the  field  by  rude  and  simple  means  could 
be  made  to  yield  the  necessities  of  life. 

But  since  we  live  by  agriculture,  we  have  been  wont  to  look 
upon  it  simply  as  a means  of  living.  He  who  finds  in  his  voca- 
tion only  a means  of  living,  becomes  a joyless  drudge  and  his 
vocation  stagnant  drudgery. 

May  we  not  see  in  this  the  reason  why  myriads  have  tired 
of  farming  and  have  t urned  away  from  the  farm  to  other  pur- 
suits and  professions  ? And  in  this  turning  away  of  so  many 
from  the  farm  to  other  pursuits  and  professions,  may  we  not  find 
and  see  the  cause  of  that  marvelous  development  of  other  arts 
and  sciences  which  so  distinguishes  our  time  ? I do  not  doubt 
it.  The  excessive  interest  in  these,  the  excessive  number 
engaged  in  them,  and  the  excess  of  energy  expended  upon  them, 
could  have  no  other  result  but  to  push  their  development  to  an 
amazing  degree  of  perfection. 

But  now  on  every  hand  we  see  the  signs  of  another  turning, 
a returning  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Other  sciences  and  other 
arts  are  ripe  now  to  serve  their  highest  purpose  in  the  develops 
ment  of  the  master  science,  agriculture.  The  professions  are 


28 


full — crowded  as  we  have  seen.  They  no  long-er  pay,  to  put  it 
short,  but  that  is  not  all  nor  most  important ; men  and  women 
conscious  of  power  to  aid  in  the  world’s  needed  work  and 
inspired  by  sublime  desire  and  ambition  to  add  by  their  labors 
something-  to  the  world’s  comfort,  happiness  and  betterment, 
disdain  to  waste  their  trained  powers  where  not  needed.  If 
place,  success  and  competence  are  to  be  g-ained  for  .themselves, 
in  professional  life,  it  must  too  often  come  by  displacing-  and 
defeating-  others. 

With  the  conditions  of  the  unskilled  laborer  and  the  artisan 
in  the  city  we  are  familiar.  Living-  employment  is  uncertain ", 
there  are  too  many.  The  mechanic,  for  seif  preservation  is 
compelled  to  limit  the  number  of  apprentices  in  his  craft,  even 
to  the  exclusion  of  his  own  son.  Professional  men  are  hesitating- 
to  bring-  up  their  sons  to  their  own  calling-.  How  is  it  with 
trade  and  commerce  ? There  is  war  between  individuals  and 
coperation  for  trade,  of  which  there  is  not  enoug-h  to  g-o  around  1 
and  nations  that  once  foug-ht  for  liberty  and  honor  are  now  ready 
to  fig-ht  for  trade. 

The  way  out  of  it  all  is  to  the  farm.  To  the  farm  is  the 
place  to  g-o  now,  and  to  the  farm  is  the  thing-  to  do.  People  see 
it ; not  only  plain  men  now,  but  schooled,  educated,  learned  men 
see  it  and  the  more  they  know  the  better  they  see  it.  Necessity 
may  be  the  ointment  that  is  opening-  their  eyes,  but  they  see  it 
all  the  same.  To  my  young-  friends  who  question  me  as  to  the 
most  promising-  field  for  effort  now,  I answer  without  hesitation, 
the  corn  field. 

We  are  about  to  return — we  are  returning-  to  ag-riculture» 
We  are  taking-  another  step  in  the  evolution  of  better  thing-s  for 
mankind. 

To  the  half  employed,  to  the  disappointed,  discontented, 
striving-,  strug-g-ling-  millions  in  other  over  crowded  pursuits^ 
ag-riculture  says,  come  unto  me  and  I will  g-ive  you  employment; 
I will  g-ive  you  food  and  clothing- ; I will  g-ive  you  homes  ; I will 
g-ive  you  contentment  and  honor  ; I will  g-ive  you  peace. 

But  we  are  returning-  to  a new  ag-riculture,  an  ag-riculture 
lig-hted  and  g-lorified  by  science.  To  the  new  ag-riculture  the 
ag-ricultural  colleg-e  and  experiment  station  will  be  the  main 
gateway. 


29 


The  Ag^ricultural  Colleg'e  and  Experiment  Station  is  one  of 
the  wisest  conceptions  of  this  or  of  any  ag-e. 

It  should  not  be  reg-arded  as  merely  a help  to  ag-riculture  or 
an  aid,  however  valuable;  such  an  estimate  falls  far  short  of 
the  truth-  It  is  a necessary,  an  indispensable  ag-ent  in  the 
development  of  a better  and  more  profitable  and  more  eng'ag’ing- 
ag-riculture.  The  farmer  can  not  experiment  profitably.  Agri- 
cultural experiments  for  the  most  part  require  some  years  for 
their  completion.  There  must  be  parallel  experiments  under 
varying  conditions.  Exact  records  must  be  preserved.  Expen- 
sive apparatus  is  often  required.  I need  not  recount  the  obsta- 
cles to  successful  experimentation  by  individual  farmers;  they 
are  numerous  and  practically  insurmountable. 

If  for  no  other  reason,  a college  or  association  of  some  kind 
is  necessary,  because  experiments  if  left  dependent  upon  the  life, 
health  and  inclination  of  private  persons,  would  almost  cer- 
tainly fail. 

Although  comparatively  new  institutions,  colleges  of  agri- 
culture have  abundantly  proved  their  value. 

There  is  but  one  opinion  among  those  acquainted  with  their 
work;  they  must  be  maintained.  Any  farmer  and  all  farmers 
who  will  watch  the  work  done  in  these  institutions  and  who  will 
apply  to  their  own  work  what  may  be  applicable,  will  soon  be 
their  enthusiastic  friends. 

A reasonable  amount  of  public  money  judiciously  expended 
on  our  agriculture  college  will  return  an  hundred  fold  to  the 
common  good. 

A wise  public  policy  will  surely  give  liberal  support  to  the 
agricultural  college  and  experiment  station. 

We  are  met  here  to  dedicate  this  great  building,  the  largest 
agricultural  college  building,  I believe,  in  the  world.  It  is  con- 
sistent— we  are  the  greatest  agricultural  community,  and  this 
building  stands  in  the  center  of  the  largest  tract  of  the  most 
productive  land  comprised  in  any  single  State.  It  will  be  well 
equipped.  We  have  here  a corps  of  instructors,  many  of  them 
already  renowned  for  eminent  services  to  agriculture,  all  are 
learned  and  skillful  in  the  art,  and  devoted  to  it. 

To  the  great  art — the  greatest,  we  dedicate  this  splendid 
building. 


ADDRESS 


Thomas  J.  Burrii^l,  ph.  d.,,  ll.  d.,  University. 
Vice-President  University  of  Illinois  and  Dean  of  the  General  Faculty. 


SoMK  Earpy  Insidk  History  and  its  Lessons 

Agricultural  education  and  the  direct  application  of  science 
to  the  affairs  of  practical  ag-riculture  have  come  up  in  our  coun- 
try throug’h  g-reat  tribulations.  A word  now  at  the  formal  dedi- 
cation of  these  mag-nificent  building's,  erected  in  the  interests  of 
agricultural  arts  and  sciences,  and  for  the  educational  benefit  of 
people  having  to  do  with  these  developing  departments  of  skill 
and  learning, — a word  uttered  here  under  the  stimulating  con- 
ditions and  with  this  augury  of  marvelous  things  to  come, — a 
word  by  way  of  contrast  upon  the  early  struggles  connected  with 
and  inside  of  our  own  University,  can  not  be  without  its  lessons 
upon  this  occasion.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  enter  here  upon  a 
history  of  agriculture  in  the  University  of  Illinois,  but  attention 
may  be  solicited  to  a few  facts  in  that  history. 

In  the  light  of  the  discussions  which  led  to  the  donation 
of  land  scrip  by  Congress,  and  the  founding  of  the  institution 
by  the  State,  any  one  may  clearly  read  in  the  wording  of  the 
acts  by  which  these  measures  were  accomplished,  the  intent  and 
purpose  to  make  agriculture  and  the  matters  inherently  pertain- 
ing thereto,  the  leading  subjects  of  instruction  and  investiga- 
tion in  the  new  institutions.  Mr.  Morrill  himself,  whether  as 
representative  or  senator,  rarely  spoke  of  anything  else.  In  all 
his  congressional  speeches  he  but  once  emphasized  the  import- 
ance of  mechanics  and  the  need  of  aid  in  mechanical  pursuits. 
He  did  dwell  at  length  upon  the  necessity  of  special  education 
for  rural  people  and  upon  the  crying  need  of  better  methods  in 
farm  management.  So  the  land-grant  colleges  were  most  fre- 
quently spoken  of  as  agricultural  colleges.  In  Illinois,  previous 
to  the  passage  of  the  founding  act  by  the  state  legislature, 
hardly  any  other  name  was  in  use,  and  afterward  for  some  years 
the  term  agricultural  college  was  more  commonly  heard  as 
applied  to  this  institution,  as  it  then  existed,  than  was  the  legal 

30 


31 


title, — the  Illinois  Industrial  University.  The  people  of  Cham- 
paign county  were  the  earliest,  and,  as  the  result  proved,  the 
most  insistent  bidders  to  secure  the  location  of  the  new  state 
institution,  but  they  thought  of  it  and  popularly  called  it  the 
agricultural  college.  It  is  certainly  true  that  a few  persons  and 
those  who  were  most  influential  in  determining  the  name  and 
character  of  that  which  they  instituted  took  a wider  outlook  and 
a better  vision  of  the  development  which  was  sure  to  ensue. 
With  them  the  name  University  was  not  a misapplication,  and 
that  which  they  understood  by  the  modifying  term  “industrial” 
was  in  proper  keeping  with  the  best  interpretation  of  the  entire 
movement — a movement  which  account  s in  a considerable  part 
for  the  splendid  achievements  of  the  later  years.  But  when  the 
trustees  first  met  it  was  not  strange  that  many,  no  doubt  a 
majority  of  them,  still  thought  of  the  charge  newly  placed  under 
their  care  as  an  agricultural  college.  Here  again  the  influence 
of  a few  dominating  minds,  and  notably  among  them  that  of 
the  first  Regent,  or  President,  is  to  be  perceived.  The  minority, 
as  determined  by  count,  extended  the  plans  for  the  new  organi- 
zation much  beyond  those  which  the  majority  w?ould  have 
adopted.  No  one,  however,  thought  of  displacing  from  the  head 
and  front  of  the  list  the  agricultural  interests.  All  were  in 
hearty  agreement  in  giving  these  chief  place  in  the  new  insti- 
tution, to  be  followed  by  others  as  possibilities  permitted.  In 
the  first  scheme  of  organization  fifteen  professorships  were 
recommended,  and  the  first  one  in  the  list,  as  it  was  adopted, 
is  that  of  practical  and  theoretical  agriculture,  followed  in  order 
by  those  of  horticulture,  analytical  and  practical  mechanics, 
military  tactics  and  engineering,  civil  engineering,  etc.  In  this 
list  the  professorship  of  ancient  languages  takes  the  thirteenth 
place,  and  that  of  mental  and  moral  philosophy  the  fifteenth 
place. 

When  appointments  came  to  be  considered  it  was  natural, 
under  the  circumstances  just  mentioned,  that  some  one  should 
be  first  looked  for  to  fill  the  professorship  of  agriculture.  That 
this  appointment,  together  with  that  for  horticulture,  were  not 
made  before  others,  was  not  the  fault  of  those  upon  whom 
devolved  the  responsibility  of  securing  a faculty.  Three  men 
for  other  departments  were  elected  before  a selection  was  made 
for  the  place  constantly  first  in  consideration  and  deemed  by  all 


32 


to  be  first  in  importance.  A search  for  a man  proved  futile.  It 
was  currently  said  at  the  time  that  there  was  but  one  professor 
of  agriculture,  and  that  there  was  no  other  man  fit  for  such  pro- 
fessorship in  America.  However,  something  must  be  done.  All 
felt  that  action  of  some  kind  should  not  be  delayed,  and  on  the 
very  day  of  the  inaugural  exercises,  when  the  doors  of  the  insti- 
tution were  first  officially  thrown  open,  Willard  F.  Bliss,  of 
Nokomis,  Illinois,  was  elected  professor  of  agriculture.  At  the 
time,  he  was  the  owner  and  manager  of  a large  farm  near  the 
town  just  named;  he  was  a graduate  of  Yale  College,  as  that 
famous  American  center  of  learning  was  then  entitled;  he  had 
traveled  abroad,  and  had  pretty  well  in  command  the  Batin, 
Greek,  and  French  languages. 

There  were  at  the  time  in  the  country  some  men  famed  for 
their  attainments  in  science,  but  not  one  of  these  had  been 
trained  in  his  specialty  in  an  educational  institution,  though 
certain  of  their  number  had  gained  a start  through  the  meager 
instruction  then  offered  at  the  principal  seats  of  higher  education 
in  this  country  and  abroad.  Darwin’s  Origin  of  Species  had 
been  published  almost  a decade  before  the  time  now  spoken  of, 
but  outside  of  theology  and  the  realm  of  theoretical  science, 
little  attention  had  been  paid  to  the  doctrines  therein  advanced. 
It  certainly  would  not  have  been  considered  a matter  to  his 
credit  if  a candidate  for  a professorship  in  agriculture  was 
known  to  have  accepted  these  doctrines  as  a basis  for  his  inves- 
tigations and  for  his  instruction.  Indeed  almost  the  only  science 
thought  to  be  of  real  worth  to  a man  in  the  position  named  was 
chemistry.  To  his  Latin  and  Greek  and  French  languages  and 
to  his  practical  acquaintance  with  rural  affairs  the  world  of 
knowledge  designated  chemistry  would  have  been  considered  a 
valuable  addition.  Baron  von  Liebig  was  at  the  splendid  pin- 
nacle of  his  well-earned  fame,  and  the  renown  of  his  epoch- 
making  researches  was  as  great  in  America  as  in  Europe.  Had 
Mr.  Bliss  or  any  one  else  proposed  to  qualify  himself  for  teach- 
ing the  scientific  agriculture  he  no  doubt  would  have  endeavored 
to  gain  first  a sitting  at  the  feet  of  this  highly  revered  master, 
tho  ugh  we  now  know  he  would  have  learned  facts  which  were 
not  facts,  and  would  have  had  cause  subsequently  to  unlearn  a 
not  inconsiderable  amount  of  the  coveted  information  so  gained. 

Professor  Bliss  took  up  the  task  assigned  him  with  much 


33 


hesitation.  He  knew  the  situation  well  enough  to  appre- 
ciate the  dithculties  in  the  way.  He  was  by  no  means  one  of 
those  who  dared  to  tread  where  angels  feared  to  go.  Actual 
contact  with  the  matters  involved  did  not  decrease  the  recogni- 
tion of  obstacles.  The  affairs  of  his  own  farm  did  not  prosper 
in  his  absence,  and  at  the  end  of  his  first  year  he  considered  it 
necessary  to  return  to  the  less  exacting  if  humbler  duties  at  his 
own  home,  whence  he  has  not  since  been  tempted  away. 

On  November  27,  1867,  Jonathan  Periam  was  appointed 
head  farmer,  the  first  regular  employe  in  the  earliest  instituted 
office  of  the  University.  He  served  in  this  capacity  until  March, 
1869.  During  this  time  there  arose  some  discussion  as  to  the 
scope  of  his  duties,  resulting  in  adding  to  his  title  that  of  super- 
intendent of  practical  agriculture,  and  he  was  told  to  report  di- 
rectly to  the  committee  on  agriculture  of  the  Board.  But  his  did 
not  prove  to  be  a path  of  roses,  and  he  resigned  after  a service 
of  one  year  and  four  months.  Even  in  farm  management  there 
was  too  little  unanimity  of  ideas  to  make  life  agreeable  to  one 
under  employment,  with  several  persons  esteeming  themselves 
higher  in  authority  but  differing  with  each  other  in  views. 

In  June,  1870,  during  the  day  upon  which  the  resignation  of 
Professor  Bliss  was  accepted,  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Manly 
Miles  was  made  as  professor  of  agriculture  with  the  understand- 
ing that  he  should  serve  during  the  fall  and  winter  months,  thus 
dividing  equally  his  time  between  the  Michigan  Agricultural 
College  and  this  institution.  No  one  else  in  America  at  this 
time  enjoyed  anything  comparable  with  Dr.  Miles  in  the  public 
estimation  of  competency  to  give  instruction  in  scientific  agri- 
culture. He  it  was  who  had  been  called  the  only  professor  of 
the  subject  in  the  country.  The  trustees  and  others  considered 
themselves  in  great  good  fortune  when  it  seemed  he  was  to  lead 
the  way  out  of  the  dilemma  in  which  they  found  themselves 
placed.  But  it  was  not  to  be.  Arrangements  failed  at  the 
Michigan  end  of  the  line,  and  it  was  not  until  five  years  subse- 
quently that  he  finally  resigned  at  Lansing  to  accept  here  the 
double  duty  of  professor  of  agriculture  and  of  agricultural  chem- 
istry. The  latter  part  of  the  title  was  added  in  good  part  be- 
cause he  was  to  draw  two  salaries  compared  with  those  usually 
paid.  This  time  he  entered  upon  service  here  with  anticipations, 
at  least  on  the  part  of  others,  of  great  accomplishments.  The 


34 


perplexing-,  disappointing-,  discourag-ing-,  and  disag-reeing-  condi- 
tion of  thing-s  in  connection  with  the  department  and  its  work 
was  to  come  to  an  end,  and  there  was  a justifiable  basis  for  g-reat 
hope  for  the  future.  No  other  action  by  the  authorities  could 
have  been  taken  which  seemed  so  full  of  promise,  so  big-  iii  anti 
cipated  results.  Alas  ! The  transplantation  did  not  succeed. 
Perhaps  the  roots  were  down  too  deep  to  permit  the  severance  ; 
perhaps  the  new  soil  was  ill-suited  to  development  of  this  second 
foot-hold.  There  was  no  lack  in  vigor,  however.  New  growth 
was  apparent  enough  in  many  ways,  yet  all  ceased  at  the  end  of 
one  year.  This  latter  was  largely  due  to  radical  differences  of 
opinion  as  to  what  should  constitute  the  curriculum  of  study  in 
the  University  generally  as  well  as  to  what  should  be  attempted 
in  the  agricultural  department  itself.  There  was,  in  a word, 
too  little  real  knowledge  and  too  much  fanciful  theorizing  for 
any  substantial  unity  of  purpose  or  agreement  in  procedure. 
The  storm  ended  by  the  professor’s  withdrawal. 

When  in  1870  or  1871  it  came  to  be  understood  that  Dr. 
Miles  could  not  accept  his  first  engagement  strenuous  efforts 
were  made  to  fill  the  place.  All  this  came  to  nothing.  There 
was  really  no  one  to  appoint  with  any  confidence  in  the  outcome. 
Then  it  was  said  we  must  make  a professor.  Fortunately  in- 
struction in  the  biological  and  physical  sciences  gained  rapidly 
in  the  new  state  institutions.  Laboratories  were  equipped  as 
never  before  in  our  land.  Laboratory  methods  soon  largely  sup- 
plemented or  supplanted  the  lecture  system  of  instruction  in 
science.  Students  began  to  deal  with  things  rather  than  with 
printed  or  spoken  words.  The  change  in  educational  procedure 
amounted  almost  to  a revolution  due  not  alone  to  the  founding 
of  the  land  grant  colleges,  but  carried  forward  by  them  with  un- 
equaled spirit  and  energy.  The  making  of  an  agricultural  pro- 
fessor was  nearer  possible  than  ever  it  had  been  before.  The 
first  class  graduated  from  the  Illinois  Industrial  University  in 
1872.  One  of  the  brightest  of  its  members  was  made  an  assist- 
ant in  the  chemical  laboratory,  and  during  his  first  year  of  ser- 
vice was  selected  in  effect  for  the  agricultural  position.  He  went 
to  Europe  for  a year’s  study  shaped  entirely  towards  his  antici- 
pated duty,  and  in  1874  was  made  instructor  in  agricultural 
chemistry.  Perhaps  personal  reasons  in  this  case  more  than  in 
any  other  caused  the  termination  of  the  engagement  after  the 


35 


apparently  established  period  of  one  year.  It  was  at  the  close 
of  this  service  that  Dr.  Miles  entered  upon  his  work.  In  the 
meantime  the  affairs  of  practical  ag-riculture,  as  the  phrase  was, 
had  been  entrusted  to  the  head  farmer  and  to  one  or  another  em- 
ployed as  temporary  director  of  field  experiments.  The  Reg’ent 
and  various  members  of  the  faculty  gave  assistance,  such  as  it 
was,  in  class  instruction. 

In  1876  George  E.  Morrow,  then  professor  of  agriculture  in 
the  Iowa  Agricultural  College,  was  elected  to  the  chair  in  this 
institution,  and  in  one  respect,  but  by  no  means  in  all  related 
things,  the  fateful  troubles  were  ended.  He  retained  his  office 
during  eighteen  consecutive  years,  and  was  dean  of  the  college 
from  the  time  of  its  organization  in  1878.  So  far  as  this  early 
history  reaches  and  with  all  it  includes,  there  is  no  other  name 
so  important  for  what  it  recalls,  so  lustrous  for  what  it  denotes. 
In  his  memory  the  hall  in  which  we  meet  is  appropriately,  and, 
let  us  trust,  significantly  named.  Today  as  we  triumphantly 
dedicate  these  buildings,  we  bring  also  our  loving  tributes  and 
our  laden  testimonials  to  the  service-rendered  memory  of  this 
service-giving  man.  He  was  singularly  gifted  in  many  ways, 
and  these  included  qualifications  needful  in  the  arduous  and  dif- 
ficult work  which  he  undertook  to  perform.  He  harmonized 
opinions,  co-ordinated  interests,  gained  the  confidence  and  good 
will  of  those  in  authority  and  of  others  with  whom  he  worked. 
Himself  an  editor  in  his  earlier  career,  he  secured  a favorable 
attitude  on  the  part  of  the  agricultural  press.  He  was  unequaled 
at  the  time  as  a lecturer  at  home  and  abroad  upon  agricultural 
themes,  and  his  devotion  to  his  subject  was  limitless  in  time  and 
boundless  in  endeavor.  He,  too,  however,  had  his  professional 
troubles.  He  often  went  from  his  office  at  the  close  of  the  day 
with  a heavy  heart.  His  tired  brain  too  frequently  suggested  : 
What  is  the  use  ? Why  prolong  the  contest  ? But  the  next 
morning  he  took  up  again  his  task  with  spirit  and  with  continu- 
ous hope  of  ultimate  success.  There  were  encouragements  as 
well  as  discouragements,  but  we  are  not  attempting  a complete 
story.  At  the  close  of  his  long  career  he  could  not  say  that  in 
the  actual  and  plainly  observable  condition  of  things  his  expec- 
tations had  been  justified  or  his  favorable  predictions  fulfilled. 

Turning  now  for  a moment  to  horticulture  in  this  rapid 
review,  similar  statements  might  in  part  be  made.  After  two 


36 


years  of  inquiry  the  second  professorship  in  the  orig-inal  list  had 
not  been  filled.  Here  again  no  one  in  our  entire  country  was 
really  qualified  for  the  proposed  duties.  In  the  emergency  the 
trustees  turned  to  a young  assistant  professor  of  natural  history  in 
charge  of  a department  so  named  and  which  had  been  organized 
during  the  first  year,  and  in  March,  1870,  he  was  made  profes- 
sor of  botany  and  horticulture.  That  he  continues  in  service 
was  due,  without  doubt,  to  the  connections  with  the  first  subject 
in  this  title.  The  horticultural  duties  were  addenda.  After 
the  class-room  exercises  were  over  for  the  day,  drains  could  be 
located,  grounds  laid  out,  trees  planted,  fruits  gathered,  plant 
diseases  studied,  etc.  It  is  almost  certain  no  man  could  have 
long  sustained  himself  in  these  practical  affairs  taken  by  them- 
selves. The  story  would  have  been  that  already  told. 

Such  in  brief  and  in  a rather  one-sided  account  is  the  early 
history  of  agriculture  in  this  institution  in  which  the  subject  and 
the  workers  now  have  so  prominent  a part.  Let  us  see  if  we  can 
find  the  causes  for  the  slow  and  dearly-bought  development. 

In  the  first  place  we  must  understand  that  the  history  here 
is  in  no  wise  peculiar,  neither  can  failure  be  attributed  to  any 
want  of  earnestness  of  purpose  or  honesty  of  mind  on  the  part  of 
authorities.  What  was  true  here  was  essentially  the  case  else- 
where. As  we  have  seen,  great  things  were  anticipated;  agri- 
culture and  agricultural  people  were  to  be  vastly  and  at  once 
benefited  by  the  new  institutions.  Nothing  else  was  to  take 
precedence  under  any  consideration.  This  first,  other  things 
secondary.  The  disappointment  was  attributable  to  causes  such 
as  the  following: 

1.  Too  much  was  expected.  Too  great  things  were  to  be  ac- 
complished. The  public  mind  has  been  aroused  to  a condition  of 
great  expectancy  without  having  concerned  itself  with  the  means 
of  accomplishment  or  even  without  any  well-founded  reasons 
upon  which  the  effects  should  follow.  The  inevitable  result  was 
disappointment  and  a disposition  to  blame  somebody  for  it. 

2.  The  ends  sought  were  vaguely  perceived.  Everybody 
thought  he  knew  what  was  needed  to  be  done  and  perhaps  how 
to  do  it,  but  the  thinking  was  superficial;  it  was  theoretical  in 
the  main  and  took  color  from  the  circumstances  and  character- 
istics of  the  individual.  There  was  therefore  clash  of  opinion 
with  no  standard  of  comparison  or  valuation. 


37 


3.  Science  had  not  been  adjusted  to  the  elucidation  of  the 
complex  problems  involved.  The  complexity  and  difficulty  of 
these  problems  v^ere  rarely  recognized.  It  had  been  proclaimed 
and  believed  that  a chemical  analysis  of  soil  would  infallibly 
indicate  what  crops  would  succeed  thereon,  or  what  definite  sub- 
stance or  substances  must  be  added  to  make  certain  crops  a cer- 
tain success.  Almost  no  attention  had  been  given  the  biological 
factors.  As  is  the  case  with  all  those  partially  informed  the  men 
of  science  were  over  confident.  Their  emphatic  statements  did 
not  find  support  in  practice,  and  science  itself  was  discredited. 
The  idea  that  a professor  could  teach  agriculture  was  often  held 
to  be  ridiculous,  and  there  was  some  basis  for  this  holding.  In  a 
word  science  and  practice  were  too  far  apart  and  each  esteemed 
the  other  too  little. 

4.  There  was  woeful  want  of  understanding  in  regard  to 
what  one  man  could  and  could  not  do.  For  a score  of  years  only 
one  department  was  thought  of  by  either  trustees  or  by  pro- 
fessors. Each  institution  had  filled  its  complement  of  officers 
with  one  professor  of  agriculture.  He  and  his  superiors  thought 
it  was  his  duty  to  develop  and  teach  the  whole  subject,  or  rather 
all  the  subjects  suggested  by  the  name.  Superficiality  prevailed 
but  no  one  recognized  it.  We  see  it  now  well  enough,  but 
through  advantages  not  then  enjoyed.  We  will  do  well  if  with 
all  our  helps  the  agricultural  departments  are  not  too  open  still 
to  this  criticism. 

5.  No  one  began  to  realize  the  unavoidable  cost  of  agricul- 
tural education  given  in  anything  like  a truly  sensible  way.  A 
lecture  room  with  a desk,  some  chairs  or  settees  (not  very  many), 
a few  charts  and  pictures  hung  upon  the  walls, — these  consti- 
tuted a professor’s  equipment  aside  from  the  things  to  be  found 
in  the  barn  or  in  the  fields.  Is  it  a wonder  that  students  were 
few  and  that  enthusiasm  was  at  a low  ebb  ? Chemical  and 
physical  laboratories  were  known  to  need  large  and  varied  sup- 
plies of  apparatus  and  materials,  but  that  equivalent  facilities 
should  be  furnished  the  teacher  of  agriculture  no  one,  not  even 
the  latter  surmised. 

6.  Without  further  enumeration  it  may  be  said  that  the 
agricultural  education  of  the  first  quarter  of  a century  in  our 
land-grant  colleges  was  poor  and  halting  because  it  was  before 
its  time.  The  inertia  of  the  ages  was  upon  it.  There  was  no 


38 


self-g’eneration  of  power.  A second  birth  was  needed  here  as 
elsewhere  ; a birth  of  the  spirit  and  of  the  understanding*. 

Let  us  be  thankful  today  for  the  tribulations  of  the  past. 
Let  us  square  ourselves  to  the  new  conditions  and  by  the  new 
interpretations  of  requirements  and  of  possibilities.  Let  us  g*ive 
due  credit  to  those  who,  working*  in  the  dark  and  under  restraints 
and  limitations  made  possible  the  dawning*  light  we  enjoy  and 
straightened  the  path  in  which  our  feet  may  tread. 


ADDRESS 


K.  Davenport,  m.agr..  University. 

Dean  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  Director  of  the  Agricultural 
Experiment  Station. 

Upon  the  front  of  this  building-  are  two  inscriptions  that 
fairly  indicate  what  the  structure  stands  for.  One  is  from  the 
pen  of  President  Draper — “The  wealth  of  Illinois  is  in  her  soil, 
and  her  strength  lies  in  its  intelligent  development.”  Here  is  a 
great  economic  truth  that  lies  at  the  very  foundation  of  the 
future  of  Illinois,  and  one  whose  whole  significance  it  is  the 
business  of  this  building  and  all  it  contains  to  assiduously  propa- 
gate among  the  people. 

The  other  inscription  is  one  of  the  many  new  truths 
announced  by  Professor  Turner,  whose  statesman-like  conception 
of  the  meaning  and  possibilities  of  higher  education  has  not 
only  given  us  the  land  grant  colleges  in  all  the  states  but  has 
introduced  some  new  educational  standards  among  the  people. 
This  sentiment  of  Professor  Turner’s  upon  our  cornice — “ Indus- 
trial education  prepares  the  way  for  a millennium  of  labor” — 
serves  to  remind  us  that  the  material  resources  of  a people  will 
never  be  fully  developed  without  the  aid  of  trained  intelligence; 
and  further,  that  the  man  who  develops  these  resources  and 
provides  the  material  without  which  not  only  our  civilization  but 
our  lives  would  go  out  to-day — that  this  man  whom  the  world 
has  neglected  because  he  labored  with  his  hands — that  he  is  a 
man  whom  God  has  made  like  other  men  to  look  upward,  and 
who  in  this  country  at  least  has  made  himself  a citizen. 

These  sentiments  mean  that  no  people  can  become  great 
without  regard  to  the  fruits  of  labor.  They  mean,  too,  that 
labor  can  not  be  effective  until  it  is  trained;  that  no  laborer  can 
develop  and  use  the  resources  of  a country  as  they  should  be 
developed  and  used  until  he  is  intelligent;  and  they  mean  further, 
that  the  man  himself  need  not  be  offered  a living  sacrifice  to  the 
labor  necessary  to  bestow  upon  the  material  world  to  make  it 
habitable  for  civilized  man  reaching  out  after  the  infinite.  These 
sentiments  mean,  too,  that  we  shall  all  go  along  together,  if  we 

39 


40 


be  wise,  as  we  travel  upward.  They  mean  that  further  prog’ress 
in  material  thing's  and  the  later  steps  in  civilization  can  be 
attained  only  throug-h  the  highest  intelligence  in  all  lines  of 
human  activity,  and  the  man  who  offers  that  intelligence  need 
not  be  sacrificed;  that  he  can  be  something  more  than  a step- 
ping stone  by  which  the  few  enjoy  what  other  men  have  done. 
They  mean  that  the  masses  of  men  representing  all  needful  ele- 
ments of  our  civilization  shall  improve  themselves  and  their 
activities  together,  and  that  when  any  of  these  fail  for  any 
cause  then  the  limits  of  our  civilization  are  reached. 

All  this  means,  if  it  means  anything,  that  every  needful 
thing  must  be  propagated,  and  it  means,  too,  that  a virile  peo- 
ple in  an  advancing  civilization  will  propagate  needful  things, 
both  in  the  field  of  utility  and  of  beauty. 

The  last  half  century  has  seen  and  heard  so  much  of  “indus- 
trial education,’"  of  “new  standards,”  of  “utility,”  of  “the  new 
education,”  of  “material  development,”  and  of  “commercial 
supremacy”  — it  has  seen  and  heard  so  much  of  these,  and  it  has 
seen  so  much  of  the  strivings  after  higher  education,  of  people 
who  had  heretofore  been  content  with  none,  that  a feeling  of 
alarm  akin  to  a nervous  chill  has  swept  the  ranks  of  the  educa- 
tional world,  and  there  be  those  who  can  not  understand  this 
latter  day  development  of  industrial  education,  especially  the 
agricultural.  They  look  upon  it  as  dangerous  in  one  way  or 
another,  and  feel  a nameless  fear  that  it  means  an  overthrowing 
of  standards  like  the  falling  of  the  ancient  altars  at  Stonehenge, 
perhaps. 

Let  me  say  to  these  good  people,  be  not  disturbed.  This  is 
not  revolution;  it  is  evolution.  Those  who  are  interested  in  the 
propagation  of  higher  standards  for  industry  and  industrial  peo- 
ple understand  very  well  that  our  civilization  does  not  rest  upon 
industry  alone,  and,  in  laboring  never  so  determinedly  for  the 
development  of  our  agriculture  and  the  betterment  of  the  agri- 
cultural people,  they  would  subtract  nothing  from  the  develop- 
ment of  every  other  needful  element  of  our  civilization.  They 
believe  most  fervently  that  trained  industry  provides  the 
strength  of  a people  as  does  art  or  science  its  refinement,  and 
that  no  matter  what  the  exigencies  of  civilization,  no  man  should 
be  sacrificed  to  his  calling  or  to  any  other  man.  They  believe 
that  any  people  that  neglects  any  of  its  industries, — mining. 


41 


manufacturing-,  commerce  or  ag-riculture,  or  fails  to  secure  their 
hig-hest  development,  sacrifices  bj  so  much  its  streng-th  and  its 
endurance,  and  they  understand  perfectly,  too. —these  people 
who  are  eng-ag-ed  in  the  development  of  our  industries — that 
any  nation  or  any  people  that  closes  its  eyes  to  the  teaching’s  of 
history  is  blinded;  and  that  if  it  neg-lects  art  as  expressed  in 
literature,  painting-,  sculpture  or  music,  it  loses  by  that  much 
the  refinement  it  mig-ht  enjoy.  They  understand  that  industry 
without  refinement  leads  to  sturdy  barbarism,  and  they  believe 
that  refinement  without  trained  industry  leads  to  letharg-y  and 
decay.  Therefore  it  is  dang-erous  for  a civilized  people  to  neg-- 
lect  any  industry,  art,  or  accomplishment,  as  it  is  to  pursue  a 
policy  that  will  permit  one  class  to  do  all  the  thinking  and  com- 
pel another  to  perform  all  the  labor ; and  therefore,  this  great 
movement  for  the  betterment  of  agriculture,  not  peculiar  to  Illi- 
nois, but  taking  possession  of  all  our  people  everywhere,  is  not 
revolutionary.  It  subtracts  nothing  from  anything.  If  it  erects 
some  new  standards  it  pulls  no  others  down.  If  it  does  empha- 
size the  importance  of  educated  industry,  it  detracts  nothing 
from  art  and  refinement.  If  it  would  increase  the  wealth  of  the 
country  it  only  provides  the  means  for  a yet  higher  civilization, 
and  if  it  be  wisely  used  it  will  come.  If  it  adds  to  the  material 
strength  of  the  people  it  detracts  nothing  from  their  refinement; 
for  a people,  like  a man,  may  be  both  powerful  and  refined. 
Therefore  whatever  new  problems  arise  for  adjustment  incident 
to  the  great  movement  for  industrial  education  they  should  be 
adjusted  with  confident  courage,  for  we  need  have  no  apprehen- 
sion as  to  final  results,  because  the  movement  is  natural  and  in 
the  best  interests  of  all  classes  of  people. 

I am  inclined  to  think,  however,  that  the  rise  and  progress 
of  industrial  education  is  bringing  into  the  world  of  thought  a 
new  standard  of  life  for  all  men.  Once  it  was  taught  that  the 
highest  life  consisted  in  withdrawing  from  one’s  fellows,  and 
spending  his  days  in  contemplation — in  thinking  for  thought’s 
sake, — in  leading  a life  which  begins  and  ends  in  the  individual, 
an  ever  hopeless  attempt  to  solve  the  infinite.  I am  not  sure  but 
industrial  education  is  introducing  into  the  world  the  gospel  of 
“doing  things” — that  every  man  must  contribute  something  in 
the  way  of  both  thought  and  action  to  the  times  in  which  he 
lives,  and  that  instead  of  spending  his  life  wrapped  in  contem- 


42 


plation  attempting-  to  solve  for  himself  the  infinite,  he  is  to 
assiduously  help  his  neig"hbors  solve  the  finite.  I should  be 
proud  to  be  convinced  that  this  comparatively  new  standard  has 
come  to  us,  partly  at  least  by  the  avenue  of  industrial  education. 

This  all  reminds  us  that  there  is  a distinction  between  the 
individual  and  the  mass;  and  between  the  man  who  is  taug-ht 
and  the  thing-  that  is  taug-ht  him.  Now  an  educational  policy 
may  be  very  g-ood  for  the  individual  and  very  bad  for  the  mass. 
It  may  be  so  framed  and  conducted  as  to  g-ive  certain  few  indi- 
viduals a tremendous  advantag-e  over  their  fellows  even  to  the 
extent  of  largely  freeing  them  from  the  responsibilities  of  life, 
thus  laying  additional  burdens  upon  the  less  favored  ones.  It 
is  an  open  question  of  the  older  educational  ideals  which  did  not 
tend  to  foster  this  condition  of  things.  However  that  may  be, 
we  are  glad  to  hail  a gospel,  an  educational  doctrine,  to  the 
effect  that  education  frees  the  individual  from  nothing,  but  lays 
upon  him  greater  responsibilities  towards  the  community  and 
the  generation  in  which  he  lives. 

Like  all  other  new  movements  this  one  of  industrial  educa- 
tion was  obliged  to  defend  itself  in  the  early  days  when  almost 
nobody  believed  in  its  potency  for  anything  but  evil.  That  very 
defense  has  erected  some  new  standards  good  for  all  men  to 
observe.  Industrial  education  could  not  at  first  be  defended  on 
the  plea  of  popular  demand  because  those  individuals  to  be  most 
directly  benefited — the  farmers — seemed  not  to  desire  it,  but 
rather  to  poke  fun  at  it.  This  drove  its  advocates  out  upon 
higher  ground;  viz.,  that  agriculture  and  industry  in  general 
should  be  studied,  taught,  and  developed  from  the  standpoint  of 
public  policy,  and  because  their  development  was  needed  as  a 
natural  and  necessary  condition  to  coming  civilization,  and 
without  regard  as  to  whether  or  not  it  was  desired  by  individuals. 

The  battle  was  fought  out  and  won  upon  this  ground  and 
we  all  have  been  taught  a lesson — a great  educational  truth  it 
seems  to  me — viz.,  that  institutions  of  learning  and  research  exist 
primarily,  not  for  the  benefit  of  particular  individuals,  but  that 
they  exist  primarily  in  order  to  develop  certain  great  subjects 
as,  agriculture,  engineering,  chemistry,  economics,  literature, 
music,  and  to  stimulate  their  growth  among  the  people.  Under 
this  view  teachers  and  investigators  both  in  college  and  without 


43 


are  the  leaders  in  this  development,  and  the  students  are  the 
means  for  its  propag-ation  among  the  people. 

Under  this  thought,  this  building  and  the  college  and  ex- 
periment station  that  it  shelters  are  devoted  primarily  to  the 
development  of  agriculture  in  Illinois,  and  they  may  do  anything 
and  should  do  anything  in  harmony  with  other  interests  that 
will  contribute  to  that  development.  The  students,  therefore, — 
much  as  we  love  them — are  not  educated  so  much  for  their  own 
sake  as  that  they  shall  go  out  and  carry  into  their  generation 
the  best  that  the  present  has  to  give.  They  have  no  business  to 
consider  what  is  here  learned  and  taught  as  personl  property  to 
be  hidden  in  a napkin  or  to  be  used  only  for  personal  enjoyment 
or  advantage.  They  must  take  it  and  use  it  for  the  benefit  of 
all  men  and  for  the  development  of  our  industries. 

It  is  to  be  said  however,  for  the  college  and  for  the  business 
of  instruction  in  general  that  no  method  of  propagating  truth 
amoDg  the  people  is  half  so  effective  as  that  which  goes  out 
from  the  class  room  and  the  laboratory  in  the  minds  and  hearts 
of  young  men  and  women.  These  go  out  and  begin  new  lives, 
and  because  it  is  easier  to  adjust  than  readjust,  so  it  is  that 
after  experiment  stations  and  scientists  have  discovered  all  that 
is  to  be  known  of  agricultural  truth  and  the  last  bulletin  and 
scientific  article  have  been  published  on  the  morning  of  the 
millennium — then  will  it  be  seen  that  after  all  the  greatest  work 
was  instruction  and  the  most  powerful  agents  of  progress  are 
well  trained  young  men  and  women. 

This  building  on  the  hill  and  what  it  shelters  are  by  no 
means  the  only  agents  for  agricultural  development  in  Illinois. 
There  is  besides,  the  public  press,  a wide  spread  correspondence 
and  an  interested  and  progressive  constituency.  If  in  the  old 
days  farmers  were  slow  to  believe  in  such  institutions  and  were 
prone  to  overestimate  their  own  experience,  that  day  has  passed. 
If  it  be  true  yet  in  any  state  or  section,  it  is  most  emphatically 
not  true  in  Illinois  today. 

Upon  the  farms  of  this  state  there  are  hundreds,  yes, 
thousands  of  farmers,  each  meeting  both  success  and  failure, 
who  are  determined  that  the  agriculture  of  this  State  shall 
advance;  that  these  lands  which  have  not  properly  responded  to 
our  efforts  shall  produce;  that  those  which  have  produced  shall 
yield  more,  and  that  we  shall  so  learn  to  manage  these  lands 


44 


that  we  hold,  not  in  fee  simple  but  in  trust  for  those  who  shall 
come  after  us — that  we  shall  so  treat  them  that  their  productive 
capacity  shall  not  g-row  less  but  more— to  the  end  that  our 
children’s  children’s  children  shall  not  curse  us  in  our  graves, 
but  shall  bless  us  for  leaving  behind  us  and  to  their  generation 
material  wealth  enough  to  make  it  possible  for  them  to  be  civil- 
ized, for  have  you  not  thought  that  man  may  so  treat  the  earth 
as  to  starve  his  own  descendants?  I say  to  this  audience  and  to 
all  men  that  the  determination  of  these  men  to  develop  agricul- 
tural education  in  Illinois  is  unalterable;  and  the  energy  with 
which  they  will  prosecute  it  in  their  generation  is  akin  to  the 
energy  of  despair  in  the  hopeless  and  the  energy  of  faith  in  the 
martyr.  These  represent  the  same  interests  that  a generation 
ago  were  indifferent  to  agricultural  education  and  d^evelopment. 
But  they  have  seen  and  felt  both  the  necessities  and  the  possi- 
bilities of  education  in  agriculture  and  they  have  looked  ahead 
down  the  generations  and  have  seen  what  these  things  mean  in 
the  last  analysis;  not  only  that,  but  thinking  men  of  all  callings 
recognize  and  lend  sympathy  and  assistance  to  this  movement 
for  a better  agriculture.  And  this  is  why  the  agricultural 
development  of  Illinois  is  to  be  represented,  not  by  the  building 
we  now  dedicate,  nor  the  college  and  station  that  it  shelters,  but 
by  the  men  who  own  and  occupy  the  lands  of  the  state  and  by 
those  other  men  in  many  callings  who  understand  what  agricul- 
tural development  means.  This  is  why  the  movement  will 
endure. 

'These  have  been  the  men  who  have  helped  the  University 
to  do  this  thing — to  build  the  largest  single  building  devoted  to 
agriculture  in  the  world,  and  without  them  it  could  not  have 
been  done.  Thirty-three  years  ago  a college  of  agriculture  was 
established  here.  It  languished  until  the  time  came  when  these 
men  representing  the  interests  it  was  designed  primarily  to 
benefit,  took  hold  of  the  matter.  It  did  not  thrive  until  then — 
it  could  not  have  thriven  before. 

In  1895  the  trustees  asked  for  $40,000  for  a dairy  building. 
It  was  scarcely  considered.  Two  years  later  they  asked  for 
$80,000  for  an  agricultural  buildiug.  It  failed,  and  many 
farmers  and  farmers’  ins  titutes  opposed  it.  Two  years  later, 
and  for  the  third  time,  the  trustees  asked  for  an  agricultural 
building,  but  fixed  the  amount  at  $100,000.  The  farmers 


45 


officially  endorsed  it  in  the  State  Institute  and  a campaign  of 
education  commenced  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the 
State  By  careful  study  it  became  evident  that  $100,000  would 
not  be  sufficient  to  provide  what  was  needed  and  the  estimate 
was  raised  to  $150,000  during  the  campaign.  It  was  supported 
by  every  agricultural  organization  of  the  state— I had  almost 
said  by  every  farmer  and  citizen  of  the  state — and  passed  the 
General  Assembly  without  amendment  and  with  only  one  dis- 
senting vote. 

When  this  vote  was  taken  we  had  twenty-one  regular  and 
twenty- two  short  course  students.  The  next  year,  although  we 
abolished  the  short  course,  we  registered  a total  of  ninety,  and 
this  year  a total  of  one  hundred  and  fifty -seven. 

Then  again,  these  same  farmers  in  the  name  of  their  various 
organizations  have  just  closed  a campaign  for  increasing  the 
funds  of  the  experiment  station  by  over  $50,000  annually.  This 
with  the  askings  of  the  trustees  for  fur  nishing  the  building  and 
for  increased  support  of  the  college,  provides  a fund  for  the  col- 
lege and  station  not  exceeded  by  that  of  any  single  institution 
devoted  to  agriculture  in  the  world. 

Wherefore,  then  we  should  all  rejoice  this  day.  What  has 
been  done  we  have  done  together — for  nobody’s  good  but  that  of 
Illinois.  The  University  stands  not  only  for  industry  but  for  all 
things  needful  and  contemporaneous  w ith  this  increase  in  agri- 
cultural funds  it  has  received  the  largest  appropriation  in  its 
history,  showing  that  Illinois  is  large  enough  of  pocket  and  of 
heart  so  that  one  thing  need  not  feed  off  another,  but  that  she 
is  both  ready  and  willing  to  do  well  whatever  needs  to  be  done 
for  the  good  of  all  her  interests  and  the  benefit  of  all  her  citizens. 

4 


ADDRESS 


THE  OPPORTUNITY  IN  AGRICULTURE. 


Thomas  F.  Hunt,  M.  S. 

Dean  of  the  College  of  Agriculture  and  Domestic  Science,  Ohio  State 

University. 

The  history  of  education,  for,  in,  and  by  agriculture  is 
always  a fascinating-  subject  and  it  is  difficult  to  resist  its  recital. 
Its  history  is  no  part  of  the  theme  for  this  afternoon,  however, 
and,  moreover,  it  has  frequently  been  set  forth  at  leng-th  by  far 
more  potent  pens.  If  this  address  contains  aug-ht  of  history,  it 
will  be  because  of  its  bearing-  upon  the  present  and  the  future. 

The  discussions  of  this  subject  forty  or  fifty  years  ag-omake 
it  perfectly  clear  that  the  early  ag-itators  were  concerned  in  edu- 
cation for  agriculture  rather  than  in  agriculture  or  hy  agricul- 
ture. They  were  concerned  in  the  education  of  all  the  industrial 
classes  along  lines  which  would  make  them  the  most  effective 
“ in  the  several  pursuits  and  occupations  of  life”  because  they 
believed  that  the  welfare  of  the  State  depended  upon  the  educa- 
tion of  the  masses.  This  is,  indeed,  the  only  warrant  for  the 
taxation  of  the  people  for  the  personal  benefit  of  the  individual. 
We  vote  bread  and  meat  only  to  the  physically,  mentally,  or 
morally  incompetent.  We  vote  a free  education  in  order  to 
give  every  one  a reasonable  opportunity  to  earn  his  bread  and 
meat,  because  the  welfare  of  the  State  demands  it.  This  prop- 
osition is  too  well  understood  to  need  more  than  the  merest 
statement.  The  magnificent  series  of  buildings,  which  we  are 
called  upon  to  dedicate  today,  the  most  extensive  in  the  world 
for  the  purposes  for  which  they  are  intended,  is  evidence  suf- 
ficient, if  evidence  were  needed,  that  this  proposition  has  lost 
none  of  its  force  in  the  nearly  thirty-nine  years  that  have  elapsed 
since  the  Congress  of  the  United  States,  amid  the  most  terrific 
civil  conflict,  passed  the  epoch  making  bill  which  prepared  the 
way  for  the’  Arts  of  Peace.  I wish  here  to  congratulate  my 
alma  mater  and  all  its  ofla.cers  who  have  promoted  this  under- 
taking upon  their  splendid  achievement  and  to  thank  the  people 

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47 


of  the  great  Empire  State  of  Illinois  who  have  so  g-enerously 
voted  money,  not  only  in  their  own  interests  but  in  the  interest 
of  mankind  for  all  time  to  come. 

The  farmer’s  need  of  education  is  a theme  which  I delig-ht  to 
discuss.  It  is  the  proposition  that  if  a man  is  going-  to  be  a 
farmer,  he  of  all  men  should  have  a thorough  school  training. 
The  operations  of  the  banker,  the  merchant,  the  manufacturer, 
the  lawyer,  the  public  speaker  even,  teach  them  much  that  they 
need  to  know  to  be  successful.  They  are  taught  to  do  by  the 
doing.  What  does  the  spreading  of  manure  teach  a man  con- 
cerning the  chemistry  of  fertilizers?  What  does  the  planting 
and  reaping  of  corn  teach  a man  concerning  the  laws  of  plant- 
growing? 

The  ordinary  operations  of  the  farm  do  not  teach  the 
farmer  the  most  important  facts  concerning  his  business.  In 
order  to  get  that  information  most  necessary  to  his  highest  suc- 
cess the  knowledge  obtained  from  farming  must  be  supplemented 
from  some  other  source.  The  more  you  look  at  this  question, 
the  more  avenues  from  which  you  approach  it,  the  stronger  it 
will  appeal  to  you. 

This  proposition  was  defended  from  this  platform  nearly 
seventeen  years  ago  when  the  last  act  in  securing  a first  degree 
from  these  profes — No,  I forget.  It  was  not  these  professors. 
It  was  only  seventeen  years  ago, — only  a few  years  ago,  surely, — 
but  what  changes  ! Since  then,  many  a platform  has  been  occu- 
pied with  moderate  composure,  but  here  is  but  a beardless  boy, 
standing  with  sinking  heart  before  his  fellow  students,  and  as  he 
walks  out  and  makes  his  bow  to  President  Peabody,  he  casts  a 
hurried  glance  down  the  row  with  that  feeling  of  student  rev- 
erence for  his  professors  that  should  he  live  till  he  was  three  score 
and  ten,  he  could  not  out  live.  But  I have  been  dreaming.  Eet 
me  look  again.  Morrow,  Snyder,  Crawford,  Prentice, 
McMurtrie,  Roos,  Pickard,  who  said,  “Miss  Pierce,  can  you 
pierce  that?”  “No,”  flashed  back  instantly  the  reply,  “ But  I 
cdiTH  pick  hard  at  it.”  These  are  no  longer  present.  Some  have 
already  gone  to  a deserved  rest.  But  have  they  all  gone?  Eet 
me  look  again.  No,  a few  remain.  Dear  men  and  true, — men 
who  have  seen  this  great  University  grow  from  a tiny  seedling 
into  a sturdy  and  ever  expanding  oak, — still  hold  honored  posi- 
tions and  influence  in  the  faculty  and  affectionate  places  in  the 


48 


hearts  of  the  alumni.  Great,  indeed,  have  been  the  changes  in 
seventeen  years.  Then  there  were  less  than  four  hundred  stu- 
dents; now  more  than  two  thousand  five  hundred.  Then  the 
faculty  consisted  of  twenty-eight  persons;  now  the  instructional 
force  consists  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-eight  persons.  Then 
there  were  buildings  devoted  to  instructional  purposes  worth 
with  equipment  less  than  $350,000;  now  they  are  valued  at  one 
and  one-third  million  dollars.  The  total  annual  income  from 
all  sources  was  then  less  than  $100,000;  now  it  is  nearly  half  a 
million  dollars,  the  climax  being  capp  ed  by  the  largest  appro- 
priation ever  made  by  a legislature  at  one  time  for  an  educa- 
tional institution. 

I beg  your  pardon,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  for  having  allowed 
my  personal  feelings  towards  the  old  student  home  to  lead  me 
thus  from  the  subject.  The  farmer’s  need  of  education  is  not, 
however,  to  be  the  theme  this  afternoon. 

A passing  thought  can  not  be  resisted  concerning  that 
ancient  argument  in  favor  of  the  farm,  viz.,  that  the  farm  has 
been  the  source  of  presidents,  statesmen,  diplomats,  eminent 
lawyers,  doctors,  ministers,  ad  ad  naiiseiim.  The  logic 

of  this  is  that  the  farm  is  a good  place  to  be  born  if  you  only 
get  away  soon  enough.  This  argument  says  in  effect  that  the 
farm  is  a valuable  breeding  ground  to  furnish  strong,  healthy, 
vigorous  stock  for  the  nation,  the  most  able  and  the  most  intel- 
lectual of  which  are  to  be  selected  to  supply  the  professions  and 
manage  the  business  interests  of  our  cities,  while  the  rest  may 
go  to  the  devil  or  become  farmers.  Apparently,  in  the  minds  of 
many,  the  two  destinies  are  identical.  I have  no  quarrel  with 
this  argument  when  it  is  stated  frankly,  but  I submit  it  is  not 
calculated  to  convince  a young  man  that  agriculture  offers  him 
an  opportunity  for  a worthy  career. 

The  thesis  of  this  address  is,  Does  agriculture  (using  the 
term  in  its  broadest  and  proper  sense)  offer  an  opportunity 
worthy  of  an  able,  intellectual,  ambitious  young  man?  Can 
there  be  found  therein  a career  worthy  of  an  educated,  broad- 
minded man? 

Last  year  a young  man  graduated  from  the  course  in  Agri- 
culture. He  happened  to  be  unusually  young.  He  was  but 
twenty.  Almost  immediately  upon  graduation  he  was  appointed 
to  a cadetship  at  West  Point  through  the  courtesy  of  Senators 


49 


Hanna  and  Foraker.  He  was  an  able,  intellectual,  cultured  stu- 
dent of  excellent  spirit,  manner  and  address.  He  has  had,  as  I 
believe,  a thoroug-h,  sound  education.  He  was  such  a young* 
man  as  any  home  or  colleg-e  mig-ht  be  proud  to  send  into  the 
world.  As  it  happened,  he  had  during*  his  colleg*e  course  been 
very  much  interested  in  the  military  drill,  having*  occupied  about 
every  position  in  the  battalion  from  private  to  adjutant,  and 
had,  in  the  absence  of  the  commandant,  during*  the  Spanish- 
American  war,  had  charg*e  of  the  battalion  and  taug*ht  military 
tactics.  Suddenly  he  had  two  careers  open  to  him.  If  he  chose 
the  one,  the  g*overnment  would  see  to  it  that  he  suffered  no  real 
pecuniary  need  throughout  his  life  time.  His  abilities  are  such 
as  reasonably  to  assure  promotion.  He  might  even  hope  to 
occupy  a position  in  the  army  second  only  to  the  President  of 
the  United  States.  If  he  chose  the  other  career,  and  at  that 
moment  there  was  no  immediate  opportunity  open  to  him,  he 
must  seek  a career,  where  there  was  the  ever  present  but  ever 
unpleasant  duty  of  providing  bread  and  meat.  He  was  up 
against  (this  is  not  slang)  one  of  the  great  problems  of  life. 
He,  of  course,  sought  advice,  but,  I believe,  he  decided  finally 
for  himself.  He  does  not  lack  in  bravery,  and  I do  not  believe 
he  had  any  special  sentiment  concerning  the  agricultural  life. 
He  had  to  decide  between  the  art  of  war  and  the  art  of  peace. 
He  chose  the  art  of  peace.  Did  he  choose  wisely?  It  may  be 
of  some  significance  to  note  here  that  he  subsequently  entered 
the  government  service,  but  it  was  in  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture and  not  in  the  Department  of  War, 

This,  then,  shall  be  the  theme  for  a brief  time  this  after- 
noon,—Does  the  opportunity  in  Agriculture  furnish  a worthy 
career?  I shall  discuss  it  in  two  aspects,  viz.,  the  character  of 
the  education,  which  a course  in  agriculture  offers  and  the 
opportunity  for  one  so  educated.  Nor  is  the  subject  to  be  treated 
from  the  agreeableness  of  the  occupation.  The  bea  uty  of  sitting 
under  your  own  vine  and  fig  tree  shall  not  enter  into  this  dis- 
cussion. No  one  will  claim  that  the  occupation  of  the  President 
of  the  United  States  is  a particularly  pleasant  one,  but  every 
man  is  ready  and  anxious  to  admit,  if  not  by  word  at  least  by 
deed,  that  the  position  is  worthy  of  the  ambition  of  any  Ameri- 
can born  citizen.  Whether  a man  likes  to  wade  around  in  the 
mud  in  the  pure  air  rather  than  to  walk  on  the  carpet  in  the 


50 


foul  atmosphere  (both  literally  and  figuratively)  of  a criminal 
court  room,  is  largely  a matter  of  personal  preference.  It  is  a 
case  of  head  vs.  feet.  1,  each  year,  become  more  gratified  that 
I did  not  choose  the  profession  of  law,  because  of  my  personal 
dislike  for  many  of  the  circumstances  surrounding  a law  practice, 
but  that  is  not  sufficient  reason  for  others  to  avoid  it,  and  every 
one  must  recognize  that  the  practice  of  law  offers  to  an 
ambitious,  educated,  high  minded  young  man  an  opportunity  for 
a worthy  career. 

When  these  institutions  first  offered  themselves  to  the  public 
as  agricultural  colleges,  a few  men  in  their  faculties  did  a little 
teaching  for  agriculture,  still  less  teaching  in  agriculture,  and 
generally  no  teaching  at  all  by  agriculture.  This  is  not  strange. 
The  few  noble  spirits,  who  kept  alive  the  fires  that  burned  so 
feebly  during  the  first  twenty  years,  and  who  essayed  to  teach 
the  application  of  the  sciences  to  agriculture,  had  not  had, 
except  in  rare  instances,  any  training  in  the  sciences  which  they 
sought  to  apply,  and,  except  in  rare  instances  again,  did  the 
men  who  taught  the  sciences  perceive  their  relation  to  agriculture 
and  sometimes  cared  less. 

Some  exceptions,  however,  are  worthy  of  note.  The  first 
experiment  stations,  established  through  the  zeal  and  self  sacri- 
fice of  a small  group  of  men,  were  the  means  of  instructing  and 
inspiring  a few  young  men,  who  have  become  the  leaders  of 
scientific  thought  as  it  relates  to  agriculture.  These  men  may 
not  have  all  been  thoroughly  practical  men  but  they  were  deeply 
trained  in  the  sciences  relating  to  agriculture.  On  the  other 
hand,  there  were  a few  of  our  colleges  that  had  the  good  fortune 
to  secure  as  their  so-called  professor  of  agriculture,  men  of  un- 
usual vigor  of  mind,  enthusiasm  for  the  cause,  and  withal  a wide 
knowledge  of  agriculture.  In  these  institutions,  a few  young 
men  have  been  trained,  which,  meeting  with  their  more  scientifi- 
cally but  less  practically  trained  brethren,  have  together  helped 
to  control  the  destiny  of  this  cause  during  the  past  twenty  years. 

It  was  not,  however,  until  ten  years  ago,  which  happens  to 
be  coincidental  with  the  passage  of  the  second  Morrill  Act,  that 
the  teachers  of  what  may  be  called  technical  agriculture  were  at 
all  generally  men  who  had  been  trained  in  the  sciences  underly- 
ing agriculture.  These  men,  be  it  observed,  had  received  their 
training  in  technical  agriculture  from  men  who  had,  themselves, 


51 


for  the  most  part,  had  no  scientific  training-.  What  I would  like 
to  have  the  thoug-htful  joung-  man  see  at  this  point  is  that  most 
of  the  men,  who  have  been  trained  in  ag-riculture  by  those  who 
have  themselves  had  a colieg-e  training-  in  ag-riculture,  have  not 
been  out  of  colleg-e  more  than  five  or  six  years  and  are,  for  the 
most  part,  less  than  thirty  years  of  ag-e.  Boards  of  Trustees  are 
remorseless  and,  perhaps,  properly  so,  and  men  of  my  training- 
will  soon  be  no  long-er  needed. 

It  is  fully  recog-nized  that  the  professional  field  in  agriculture 
is  a distinctly  limited  one  and  it  would,  indeed,  be  a sad  com- 
mentary upon  the  cause,  if  it  was  the  only  worthy  field  in  agri- 
culture open  to  a young  man.  But  this  much  may  be  said  that 
in  the  past  ten  years,  while  I have  been  expecting  to  see  this 
theoretically  limited  field  supplied,  the  opportunities  have  con- 
stantly increased  in  number  and  improved  in  character.  An 
illustration  from  a single  State  university  having  eighteen 
courses  of  study  which  lead  to  a degree,  may  be  permitted. 
Twenty  of  its  graduates  during  the  last  ten  years  are  now  in 
college  positions  other  than  their  alma  mater.  Seven  of  these  are 
from  the  course  in  agriculture.  There  has  not  been  a year  in 
the  past  five  years  that  thoroughly  trained  and  thoroughly  able 
agriculturists  have  not  been  in  demand  for  positions  requiring 
the  highest  capabilities. 

Teachers  are  the  first  necessity  of  a school  of  any  kind,  but 
only  second  to  the  necessity  of  teachers  is  the  necessity  for  some- 
thing to  teach.  The  sciences  have  made  great  strides  since  1870, 
especially  the  biological  sciences.  Chemistry  had,  indeed,  a 
thoroughly  established  standing  and  the  professor  of  natural 
science  did  the  rest.  However,  mathematics  and  physics  are 
not  mechanics  or  engineering;  physiology  is  not  medicine;  and 
chemistry  is  not  agriculture,  however  fundamental  these  may  be 
to  the  callings  in  question. 

What  did  we  know  about  dairying  in  1870  that  we  now 
teach?  Principally  that  cows  would  produce  milk  in  the  summer 
time  if  the  pastures  were  good;  that  if  we  stirred  some  myster- 
ious thing  that  came  on  the  top  of  it,  called  cream,  it  would  turn 
into  butter;  or  if  we  added  the  juices  of  a calf’s  stomach  to  the 
milk,  it  would  turn  into  cheese, — all  of  which  had  been  known 
for  four  thousand  years.  Dairying  is  now  a specialized  industry 


52 


requiring-  a special  education  and  training-  to  succeed  in  it. 
Among-  men  of  business  judg-ment  none  others  need  apply. 

In  an  article  on  “ Harvest  Implements”  in  Morton’s  Cyclo- 
pedia of  Agriculture,  published  in  1871,  the  writer  states  that 
“Notwithstanding  all  the  ingenuity,  however,  that  has  hitherto 
been  applied  to  this  subject,  reaping  has  been  and  no  doubt  for 
many  years,  as  we  have  said,  will  continue  to  be  a manual  oper- 
ation.” The  writer  then  proceeds  to  describe  the  various  forms 
of  sickles  with  which  it  is  proper  to  cut  grain.  This  article  was 
not  written  by  an  ignoramus.  Morton’s  Cyclopedia  of  Agricul- 
ture was  as  standard  in  the  field  of  agriculture  as  the  Century 
Dictionary  is  in  the  field  of  letters.  It  is  true  that  America  had 
known  something  of  the  reaping  machines  for  fifteen  years,  but 
the  self  binder  was  yet  a figment  of  the  dreams  of  a few  inven- 
tors. What  this  means  may,  perhaps,  be  best  emphasized  by 
the  startling  but  nevertheless  true  statement  that  if  the  small 
grains  of  the  crop  of  1901  in  the  United  States  had  to  be  reaped 
by  the  method  so  gravely  described  by  our  English  authority,  it 
would  take  the  combined  efforts  of  every  man  of  military  age  in 
the  United  States  three  weeks  to  accomplish  the  task.  This  has 
an  important  bearing  upon  what  is  to  follow.  Here  emphasis  is 
laid  upon  the  fact  that  rural  engineering  is  a different  problem 
from  what  it  was  thirty  years  ago. 

Take  an  illustration  from  the  field  of  animal  industry  that 
is  just  now  for  special  reasons  a very  attractive  line  of  work.  In 
1870,  there  were  common  in  the  United  States  one  recognized 
breed  of  horses,  three  breeds  of  cattle,  two  or  three  breeds  of 
swine,  and,  perhaps,  five  breeds  of  sheep.  Some  other  breeds  of 
live  stock  had  been  introduced,  but  they  were  practically 
unknown.  At  present,  we  have  at  least  eleven  recognized  breeds 
of  horses,  not  including  ponies,  seventeen  breeds  of  cattle,  eleven 
breeds  of  swine,  and  fourteen  breeds  of  sheep,  with  all  of  which 
a man  must  be  more  or  less  familiar  before  he  can  lay  any  claim 
to  being  an  expert  in  the  field  of  animal  industry. 

In  the  field  of  applied  sciences,  the  changes  have  been  no 
less  profound.  When  the  men  who  are  now  teaching  the  science 
of  agriculture  were  in  college,  it  was  taught  as  a demonstrated 
scientific  truth  that  mankind,  in  the  no  very  distant  future,  must 
disappear  from  the  face  of  the  globe  for  lack  of  nitrogen  in  the 
soil.  We  know  better  now.  So  completely  has  this  better 


53 


knowledge  been  accepted  and  acted  upon  in  agricultural  opera- 
tions that  we  have  almost  forgotten  that  we  ever  thought  dif- 
ferently. 

The  year  the  speaker  entered  college,  Professor  Burrill  dis- 
covered the  cause  of  pear  blight.  Pear  blight  still  continues  on 
its  way  but  how  immensely  has  the  horizon  of  our  knowledge 
concerning  plant  and  animal  diseases  widened.  Not  only  have 
agricultural  and  horticultural  operations  been  greatly  modified 
but  the  practice  of  human  and  veterinary  medicine  have  been 
revolutionized,  and  with  it  all,  the  mind  of  the  human  race  seems 
to  have  expanded;  reason  has  taken  the  place  of  superstitution. 

The  establishment  in  1888  of  experiment  stations  in  each  of 
the  states  has  furnished  a fountain  from  which  is  flowing  knowl- 
edge recognized  to  be  of  the  highest  importance  to  agriculture. 
Knowledge  which  now  has  some  semblance  at  least  of  scientific 
accuracy.  Knowledge  which  is  as  accurate  as  can  be  expected 
when  we  consider  the  great  difficulty  of  the  subject.  The  effect 
of  this  progress  of  which  but  a hint  has  been  given  is  that  little 
that  is  taught  today  of  technical  agriculture  was  taught  fifteen 
years  ago. 

It  is  necessary  to  remember  that  the  old  type  of  classical 
college  required  only  a building  of  moderate  dimensions,  and  a 
department  therein  for  equipment,  a desk,  a few  chairs,  a pointer, 
some  chalk,  and  a number  of  erasers.  Thirty  years  ago,  the 
necessity  jf  equipment  for  the  teaching  of  the  pure  sciences  was 
but  little  recognized.  The  necessity  for  a fairly  equipped  chem- 
ical laboratory  was  indeed  understood.  A herbarium  for  the 
botanist,  a few  snakes  and  other  specimens  in  alcohol  for  the 
zoologist,  a number  of  cork  lined  boxes  for  the  entomologist,  a 
small  collection  of  minerals  and  stones  for  the  geologist,  a mani- 
kin and  a few  bones  for  the  physiologist  was  about  all  that  was 
thought  necessary.  When  it  came  to  the  department  of  agricul- 
ture, a few  samples  of  grain,  mostly  worm  eaten,  a collection  of 
patent  office  models,  mostly  of  machines,  which  had  never  been 
used  because  of  their  visionary  character,  a few  framed  prints 
portraying  animals  of  impossible  conformation  or  in  impossible 
attitudes,  and  a so-called  model  farm  was  considered  the  sine 
que  non  for  an  equipment.  A properly  equipped  farm  is,  indeed, 
a desirable  adjunct  to  an  ideally  equipped  college  of  agriculture, 
but  other  things  were  more  essential.  A farm,  however,  to 


54 


serve  the  highest  purpose  of  instruction  to  say  nothing  of  ex- 
perimentation cannot  be  made  a model  for  a farmer  to  follow  any 
more  than  a university  machine  shop  can  be  made  a model  for  a 
shoe  factory. 

Just  as  the  teaching  of  the  sciences  has  been  found  more  ex- 
pensive than  the  teaching  of  classics,  so  the  teaching  of  the  ap- 
plied sciences  has  been  found  more  expensive  than  the  teaching 
of  abstract  science.  And  of  all  applied  sciences,  the  teaching  of 
agriculture  has  been  found  to  be  vastly  the  most  expensive  and 
it  must,  in  the  nature  of  the  case,  continue  so.  It  is  only  during 
the  past  decade  that  the  movement  for  the  proper  equipment  of 
the  colleges  of  agriculture  has  taken  tangible  form.  The  great 
state  of  Illinois  has  felt  this  movement  and  has  come  bravely  to 
the  front  with  the  structures  we  are  dedicating  today,  and  with 
the  equipment  so  soon  promised  will  be  second  to  none  in  the 
Union. 

It  may  not  be  out  of  place  here  to  inquire  why  agriculture 
has  been  slow  in  coming  to  its  own.  It  is  because  of  the  diffi- 
culty of  the  problems  involved.  The  political  economist  has 
long  ago  divided  people  engaged  in  gainful  occupations  into  four 
or  five  classes.  Leaving  aside  the  work  of  the  serving  class,  the 
work  of  the  world  is  divided  into  three  classes,  viz.,  changes  in 
substance  or  natural  products  from  which  results  agriculture 
and  mining;  changes  of  form,  from  which  results  manufactur- 
ing; and  change  of  place,  from  which  results  trading  and  com- 
merce. Did  it  ever  occur  to  you  that  of  all  these  great  classes, 
agriculture  alone  deals  with  living  things?  Why  has  the  cause 
of  pear  blight  and  the  metabolism  of  nitrogen  in  the  clover  plant 
been  so  long  hidden  from  the  human  understanding?  It  was 
first  necessary  to  invent  a high  power  microscope. 

Like  the  [water  that  flows  to  the  sea,  civilization  has  pro- 
ceeded along  lines  of  least  resistance.  The  science  of  agricul- 
ture, dealing  as  it  does  with  living  things,  has,  because  of  the 
difficulty  of  understanding  the  processes  of  life,  lagged  behind 
those  occupations  depending  for  their  best  development  upon  a 
knowledge  of  the  physical  sciences.  The  science  of  agriculture 
will  not  reach  its  highest  development  until  the  problem  of  life 
has  been  solved.  No  man  dare  prophesy  the  heights  which  it 
may  yet  attain. 

The  study  of  agriculture,  therefore,  presents  problems 


55 


worthy  of  the  most  g-ifted  and  hig-hly  educated  young-  man.  A 
four-years’  course  in  ag-riculture,  or  in  any  of  its  specialized 
branches,  today  g-ives  a man  not  only  a training- ag-riculture 
but  in  and  by  ag-riculture.  It  g-ives  him  such  a professional 
training-  as  to  fit  him  as  a bread  winner  of  the  hig-hest  type. 
When  he  has  finished,  he  is  fitted  to  do  something-  somebody 
wants  done.  He  has  not  only  received  a theoretical  knowledg-e 
of  the  laws  of  nature,  but  such  a practical  knowledg-e  of  their 
application  that  he  can  successfully  use  them  on  the  farm,  in  the 
dairy,  in  the  orchard,  or  in  the  g-arden.  Not  only  are  the  hand 
and  the  eye  trained,  but  throug-h  the  hand  and  eye  the  mind  is 
trained.  In  other  words,  the  course  in  ag-riculture  offers  a sound 
education.  Its  g-raduates  are  not  only  educated  farmers,  but 
educated  men. 

I am  not  ready  to  assert  that  the  mental  drill  received  from 
instruction  by  technical  ag-riculture,  as  at  present  taug-ht,  is 
equal  to  that  received  by  the  study  of  Greek,  Latin,  or  Calculus. 
It  is  freely  recog-nized  that  the  colleg-es  of  ag-riculture  have  larg-^e 
opportunities  in  this  reg-ard.  The  men  who  are  teaching-  these 
subjects  have  had  literally  to  dig-  their  subject  out  of  the  ground 
and  have,  in  some  cases,  been  so  absorbed  in  acquiring  knowl- 
edge that  they  have  neglected  the  pedagogic  methods  of  impart- 
ing it.  But  I am  ready  to  assert  that  the  young  men  who  are 
now  being  graduated  from  the  courses  in  agriculture  are,  let  the 
reasons  be  what  they  may,  the  peers  of  the  graduates  of  any  of 
the  courses  of  our  land  grant  colleges  and  their  subsequent 
work  is  showing  them  to  be  such. 

I am  conscious  that  I have  used  a great  deal  of  time  in  order 
to  Say  to  the  young  man,  that  if  you  want  a sound  education,  if 
you  want  an  education  that  will  fit  you  for  a useful  life,  if  you 
want  an  education  worthy  of  the  mental  capacity  of  an  Edison 
or  a Pasteur,  you  can  find  it  in  a course  in  agriculture.  If  it 
will  not  serve  your  purpose  in  after  life,  do  not  take  it.  There 
are  plenty  of  other  courses  that  will  give  you  as  good  a training. 
The  variety  of  courses  in  the  state  universities  is  such  as  to  suit 
the  most  fastidious.  But  if  you  are  interested  in  the  problems 
underlying  agriculture,  if  your  artistic  instinct  leads  you  to  pre- 
fer producing,  living,  pulsating  models  of  plants  and  animals, 
instead  of  reproducing  their  counterfeit  on  canvas,  if  your  scien- 
tific bent  is  towards  organic  rather  than  metallurgic  chemistry, 


56 


for  botany  rather  than  physics,  if  your  business  ability  lies  in 
trading-  in  stock  rather  than  in  trading-  in  stocks,  if  your  love  for 
excitement  is  better  satisfied  in  the  show  ring  than  in  the  court 
room,  you  need  not  avoid  a course  in  agriculture,  because  it 
lacks  a training  worthy  of  the  highest  mind.  The  Dean  of  your 
General  Faculty  years  ago  said  that  the  digestive  juice  of  edu- 
cation is  interest.  The  fact  that  almost  without  exception  those 
who  have  studied  agriculture  have  been  interested,  not  to  say 
enthusiastic,  has,  in  no  small  measure,  added  to  their  success. 

But  granting  all  this,  after  the  education  is  acquired,  will 
it  produce  bread  and  meat,  and  if  so,  is  it  sordid  ? Does  it  pre- 
sent an  opportunity  for  a career,  or  will  the  possessors  remain 
hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water  ? 

This  is  just  as  good  a place  as  any  to  behead  once  more  that 
hydra-headed  monster,  which  asserts  that  agricultural  colleges 
educate  boys  away  from  the  farm.  I happen  to  have  the  statis- 
tics concerning  the  alumni  of  a college  of  agriculture  and  of  its 
ex-students  since  1892.  These  statistics  concern  399  young  men 
who  have  spent  more  or  less  time  in  studying  agriculture.  The 
occupation  of  60  is  unknown.  One  hundred  and  seventy-four  are 
farmers,  gardeners,  and  dairymen,  48  are  creamery  operators, 
butter,  and  cheese  makers,  8 are  farm  superintendents  or  em- 
ployees, 28  are  employees  of  colleges  or  stations  or  of  the  United 
States  Department  of  Agriculture,  3 are  editors  of  agricultural 
newspapers,  and  19  are  students  in  other  colleges.  The  total  num- 
ber in  all  other  occupations  is  59.  Of  the  320  men  who  have 
settled  occupation,  261  or  82  per  cent.,  are  engaged  in  agricult- 
ural pursuits.  I am  repeating  no  set  phrase,  when  I say  that 
those  who  have  become  farmers  are  not  onl}'  generally  succeed- 
ing from  a pecuniary  standpoint  but  they  are  becoming  leaders 
in  the  intellectual,  social,  and  political  life  of  their  respective 
communities.  While  a course  in  agriculture  is  not  to  be  recom- 
mended as  a means  of  political  prosperity,  yet  it  is  probably  quite 
within  the  truth  to  say  that  there  is  no  surer  road  to  political 
leadership  even  than  success  upon  the  farm  by  capable,  broad- 
minded, well  educated  men.  Three  of  the  farmers  in  the  last 
Illinois  legislature  were  trained  in  agriculture  at  the  University 
of  Illinois  and  their  alma  mater  has  had  no  reason  to  be  ashamed 
of  them. 

Particularly  is  success  coming  to  those  who  have  completed  a 


57 


four-year  course.  Many  young-  men  have  taken  a one  or  two-year 
course  in  agriculture  and  in  some  institutions  a winter  term  course^ 
and  they  have  gone  to  farming  and  have  had  a fair  measure 
of  success  depending  much,  of  course,  upon  their  previous 
training.  Many  earnest  and  successful  men  have  been  trained 
in  this  way.  There  is,  however,  no  greater  error  than  to  be- 
lieve that  if  a man  is  going  to  farm  a one  or  two-year’s  course  is 
sufficient,  while  if  he  is  going  to  be  a teacher  or  an  experimen- 
ter, he  must  have  a thorough  undergraduate  and  post-graduate 
training.  Farming,  in  its  several  branches,  is  no  exception  to 
the  rule  that  the  greater  the  ability,  the  greater  the  success. 
Neither  is  there  any  question  that  many  lines  of  farming  now 
offer  opportunities  for  the  talented.  The  fact  is  that  a training 
cannot  be  too  severe  for  the  man  who  intends  to  farm.  No  man 
needs  a rigid  training  more;  in  no  occupation  may  such  training 
be  made  to  count  for  more.  A young  man  to  be  perfectly  safe 
of  success  upon  the  farm  should  take  a thorough  under-graduate 
study,  a year’s  post-graduate  work,  and  then  he  should  spend 
about  three  years  as  superintendent  of  a farm  for  some  one  else, 
or  as  a professor  of  agriculture  in  some  land  grant  college. 
He,  then,  becomes  a trained  agriculturist,  worth  a respectable 
compensation  whether  in  business  for  himself  or  on  salary  for 
others.  What  engineer,  what  lawyer,  what  doctor,  or  what  pro- 
fessor of  literature  or  art  considers  himself  able  to  win  success 
in  his  calling  without  an  equal  training  ? I tell  you,  ladies  and 
gentlemen,  that  if  the  farms  of  the  United  States  do  not  furnish 
worthy  opportunities  for  men  thus  trained,  the  cause  of  agri- 
cultural education  is  well  nigh  hopeless.  I am  equally  con- 
vinced that  the  farms  of  the  United  States  do  furnish  such  op- 
portunities. By  no  means  all  the  five  million  farms  of  the 
United  States,  but  a large  enough  per  cent  of  them  to  furnish 
opportunity  for  all  the  gradutes  that  the  colleges  are  likely  to 
send  out  in  the  next  twenty-five  years. 

Men  of  capital  and  business  judgment  are  beginning  to 
appreciate  that  the  farms  of  this  nation  are  distinctly  limited 
and  their  money  is  being  rapidly  invested  therein.  Already 
those  who  have  to  do  with  such  things  are  finding  that  there  is 
a demand  for  persons  to  make  the  capital  thus  invested 
productive. 

It  is  by  no  means  asserted  that  a man  must  be  college  bred 


58 


to  be  a man  of  ability  or  a superiorly  trained  ag-riculturist. 
Such  a claim  would  be  both  untrue  and  foolish.  It  is  claimed, 
however,  that  a colleg’e  training-  is  more  necessary  to  a thoroug-h 
knowledg-e  of  his  business  than  to  a merchant,  a banker,  or  a 
manufacturer.  It  is  asserted,  moreover,  that  a colleg-e  training- 
is  a short  road  to  success.  If  you  are  in  Chicag-o  and  want  to 
get  to  New  York,  you  may  take  a train  or  you  may  walk.  Under 
present  economic  and  social  conditions,  you  had  better  take  the 
modern  method  even  if  you  have  to  borrow  the  money.  As  a 
final  word  on  this  phase  of  the  subject,  let  me  say  if  you  cannot 
afford  to  prepare  yourself  to  be  a farmer,  do  not  farm.  Enter 
some  other  business  where  the  business  itself  will  teach  you 
success.  Far  better  be  a corner  g-rocer  or  a street  car  conductor. 

As  already  sug-g-ested,  numerous  opportunities  are  now  open 
to  trained  agriculturists  aside  from  the  business  of  farming. 
Of  the  320  young  men  mentioned  a moment  ago,  thirty-six  have 
graduated  from  the  four-year  courses  of  the  college  of  agricul- 
ture during  the  past  six  years.  Seventeen  are  on  salaries  within 
their  proper  professional  field.  The  average  length  of  time  that 
they  have  been  out  of  college  is  about  two  and  one-half  years 
and  their  average  compensation  will  be  this  year  about  one 
thousand  dollars.  The  illustrations  given  are  from  a single 
institution  and  the  particular  examples  are  used  because  the 
information  is  at  hand. 

The  United  States  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washing- 
ton is  also  a good  illustration  of  opportunities  open  to  graduates 
of  agricultural  colleges,  both  in  the  way  of  positions  and  further 
training, — the  latter  quite  as  important  as  the  former.  Within 
the  present  fiscal  year  twenty-two  college  graduates  have  been 
appointed  in  a single  division  of  this  Department  at  salaries 
ranging  from  $480.00  to  $1,200.00.  As  indicative  of  the  rapidity 
of  promotion,  it  is  stated  that  ten  recent  graduates,  who  entered 
the  Department  last  year  and  this  year  at  $480.00  per  annum  are 
soon  to  be  advanced  to  $1000.00,  while  within  the  year  an  equal 
numbei  of  similar  promotions  will  follow.  Another  Division,  it 
is  authoritively  stated,  will  need  the  coming  year  fifteen  to 
twenty  young  men,  preferably  graduates  of  agricultural  colleges. 
The  Department  of  Agriculture  at  Washington  is  rapidly  becom- 
ing a great  post-graduate  school  of  Agriculture  with  scholar- 
ships and  opportunities  for  rapid  promotion.  The  Department 


59 


has  just  sent  graduates  of  agricultural  colleg’es  thus  trained  to 
Hawaii  and  Porto  Rico  to  take  charge  of  experiment  stations 
there  at  a salary  of  $3,000.00  each,  one  of  whom,  Frank  D. 
Gardner,  was  of  the  class  of  1891  of  the  University  of  Illinois. 

After  all,  however,  past  and  even  present  opportunities  are 
important  only  as  they  indicate  the  future.  The  important 
question  to  a young  man  choosing  a career  is  not  so  much  what 
is  the  present  opportunity  but  what  are  the  future  prospects. 
Not  how  well  will  he  begin  his  career,  but  how  well  will  he  end 
it.  The  average  expectancy  of  a man  who  has  reached  the  age 
of  twenty-one  is  forty-one  and  one-half  years.  The  question  in 
preparing  for  the  work  of  life  is  not  alone,  therefore,  what  is  the 
opportunity  today  or  what  will  it  be  four  years  hence  when  the 
young  man  has  completed  a course  in  college,  but  what  is  it 
going  to  be  during  the  next  forty  years. 

For  250  years  we  have  called  ourselves  an  agricultural  people. 
While  it  is  certainly  true  that  we  have  been  and  still  are,  though 
in  less  degree,  an  agricultural  people,  our  chief  problems  have 
not  been  those  of  the  agriculturist.  They  have  been  chiefly  the 
problems  of  the  engineer.  We  have,  it  is  true,  made  some  real 
progress  in  the  science  of  living  things.  Our  animal  and  vege- 
table forms  have  been  improved  and  thereby  has  the  vigor  and 
healthfulness  of  the  human  race  been  increased.  I would,  in  no 
way  minimize  the  importance  of  this  improvement,  but,  after  all, 
it  has  never  become  a serious  question.  Much  of  this  improve- 
ment has  been  unconscious  and  much  of  it  has  been  done  by 
people  who  found  pleasure  in  doing  it.  The  large  problems 
that  have  required  serious  thought  have  been  the  mechanical 
means  of  subduing  nature,  of  planting,  harvesting,  manufactur- 
ing, and  marketing  the  crop.  At  no  time  in  its  history  scarcely 
has  the  nation  suffered  for  food,  clothing,  and  shelter.  At  no 
time  have  these  things  been  more  abundant  than  in  the  past  gen- 
eration. Nature  has  been  so  prodigal  that  the  surplus  to  the  pro- 
ducer has  been  enormous  provided  only  that  the  mechanical  means 
could  be  obtained  to  handle  her  bounty.  Harvesting  machinery, 
including  the  cotton  gin,  and  steam  transportation  have  not  only 
unlocked  nature’s  wealth  but  so  cheapened  the  cost  of  produc- 
tion as  to  allow  a large  part  of  the  population  to  busy  itself 
with  other  matters  of  the  highest  importance  to  the  present  and 
future  welfare  of  the  race.  Only  during  the  present  generation 


60 


have  we  known  two  of  the  greatest  of  these  agencies,  viz.,  the 
self  binder  and  the  transcontinental  railways.  The  result  has 
been  that  we  of  the  present  generation  have  enjoyed  comforts 
and  luxuries  beyond  the  fondest  dreams  of  former  generations. 
At  no  time  has  our  prosperity  been  greater  apparently  than  at 
the  present  moment.  However,  ungracious  as  it  may  seem  to 
say  it,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  we  have  been  so  busy  talking  about 
our  prosperity  that  we  may  not  have  noticed  the  slight  quiver 
that  preceeds  an  earthquake. 

It  has  recently  been  my  privilege  to  discuss  at  some  length 
the  outlook  for  agriculture  in  this  country,  and  were  there  time 
such  an  array  of  fac  ts  and  figures  could  be  presented  as  to  be,  I 
believe,  both  convincing  and  impressive.  Two  hundred  and 
fifty  years  ago,  the  Puritans  started  in  to  subdue  a continent. 
“ By  1800  the  United  States  nowhere  touched  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico,  and  nowhere  crossed  the  Mississippi,”  much  less  had  our 
agriculture  and  our  civilization  reached  these  limits.  By  1850, 
we  had  acquired  our  present  continental  territorial  limits, 
Alaska  excepted,  but  the  great  west  and  northwest  was  agri- 
culturally yet  an  undiscovered  country. 

In  1875,  Central  Iowa,  at  present  one  of  the  finest  agricultural 
areas  in  the  world,  was  a wilderness.  Since  that  time  we  have 
swept  the  continent  with  our  agricultural  operations.  We  have 
rolled  up  against  the  Pacific  coast  with  such  force  that  the 
shock  has  sent  us  thousands  of  miles  across  the  sea. 

The  elements  that  have  entered  into  the  problem  have  been 
a great  fertile,  treeless,  and  easily  subdued  plain,  in  a climate 
admirably  adapted  to  cereal  production,  one  of  which,  maize, 
produces  twice  the  food  per  acre  of  any  cereal  known  to  the 
civilized  nations  before  the  discovery  of  America;  improved 
machinery,  including  the  steel  plow,  the  mower,  the  self  binder, 
and  the  thresher;  transcontinental  steam  transportation;  and  a 
people  of  high  intelligence  and  great  energy. 

Do  all  the  elements  in  the  problem  still  exist?  Let  us  look 
a moment.  The  animals  upon  the  farms  and  ranches  of  the 
United  States  increased  with  such  rapidity  between  1875  and 
1892  that  in  the  latter  year  we  had  not  only  the  largest  number 
of  animals  but  much  the  largest  number  in  proportion  to  popu- 
lation we  have  had  in  forty  years. 

Now  look  at  the  other  side  of  the  shield.  Since  that  time 


61 


the  animals  upon  the  farms  and  ranches  of  the  United  States 
have  decreased  with  such  almost  lig-htning-  rapidity  that  in  1900, 
eig-ht  years  later,  we  had  not  only  less  but  much  less  live  stock 
in  proportion  to  population  than  we  have  had  at  any  time  in 
forty  years. 

The  increase  in  acreage  of  cultivated  crops  between  1870  and 
1890  was  likewise  greater  than  the  increase  in  population.  The 
increase  in  acreage  of  cultivated  crops  in  the  past  thirty  years 
is  greater  than  was  the  total  acreage  in  1870.  In  other  words, 
we  have  subdued  more  of  nature  to  the  uses  of  man  since  1870 
than  we  had  been  able  to  do  in  the  two  centuries  of  our  history 
hitherto.  In  the  last  thirty  years,  we  have  doubled  our  popula- 
tion and  we  have  more  than  doubled  the  area  of  our  cultivated 
crops.  Shall  we  be  producing  two  blades  of  grass  in  the  place 
of  one  that  grows  today  when  the  population  has  again  doubled? 
Or  will  our  inability  to  produce  the  two  blades  prevent  popula- 
tion from  doubling? 

It  is  not  here  asserted  that  the  two  blades  of  grass  will  be 
produced.  I believe,  however,  it  is  possible  to  do  so,  but  if  it  is 
to  be  done,  it  must  be  done  in  a vastly  different  way  than  it  has 
been  done  in  the  past  thirty  years.  The  problem  will  be  vastly 
different.  The  problems  will  be  solved  by  those  who  have 
studied  organic  chemistry  and  the  sciences  relating  to  life  rather 
than  by  those  who  have  studied  mathematics  and  the  laws  of 
physics.  In  short  the  problems  of  the  future  will  be  the  prob- 
lems of  the  agriculturist  rather  than,  as  in  the  past,  the  prob- 
lemes  of  the  engineers.  The  great  engineering  professions  need 
no  defense  from  me  and  I will  certainly  not  be  misunderstood  by 
this  comparison  as  minimizing  their  importance  or  that  of  any 
other  form  of  useful  knowledge  to  the  welfare  of  future  genera- 
tions. 

Is  there  any  immediate  evidence  that  the  cultivated  area 
may  fail  to  keep  up  with  the  increasing  population  ? The  evi- 
dence is  found  in  the  statistics  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture 
at  Washington.  The  cultivated  area  has  not  actually  decreased 
as  has  the  number  of  farm  animals,  but  the  area  has  decreased 
in  proportion  to  population  about  ten  per  cent  since  1890  and  is 
now  less  in  proportion  to  population  than  it  has  been  at  any 
time  in  twenty  years. 

But  how  can  this  be  ? Regard  for  a moment  our  unpa  r 


62 


alleled  prosperity.  If  this  is  the  effect  of  a decrease  in  acreag-e, 
by  all  means  let  us  have  some  more  decrease.  The  reply  is 
simply  that  the  seasons  have  been  propitious.  Not  since  the 
last  half  of  the  decade  of  the  seventies  has  this  country  had 
such  yields  per  acre  as  during-  the  years  1895-99.  In  no  other 
five  years  since  has  the  farmer  received  such  large  returns  in 
crops  for  labor  expended.  A single  illustration  will  indicate  what 
this  really  means.  The  average  yield  of  corn  per  acre  for  the 
five  years,  1895-99  inclusive,  was  3.2  bushels  more  than  for  the 
five  years  just  proceeding  that  period.  This  is  an  increase  of  14 
per  cent.  This  means  an  annual  increase  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty  million  bushels  of  corn  from  the  same  acreage — if  used  in 
place  of  wheat  more  than  half  enough  to  bread  the  nation.  All 
the  golden  metal  mined  in  the  same  period  in  the  United  States 
would  not  begin  to  buy  to-day  merely  the  increase  in  this  golden 
grain, — the  gift  of  prodigal  nature. 

It  would  be  indeed  pleasing  in  this  connection  to  relate  that 
this  increase  in  yield  had  resulted  from  the  investigations  of  our 
experiment  stations  and  the  teachings  of  our  agricultural  col- 
leges. To  make  such  a statement  would  be  to  make  the  wish 
father  of  the  thought.  Doubtless  such  agencies  may  have  mod- 
ified slightly  and,  when  the  teachings  of  the  stations  are  put  into 
general  practice,  will  largely  affect  the  result,  but  as  surely  as 
the  rains  fall  and  the  frosts  come  we  may  expect  a series  of 
unpropitious  seasons.  Some  fine  morning  we  will  wake  up  to 
find  the  scare  head  of  our  “No  breakfast  is  complete  without  it” 
newspaper  have  been  changed  and  that  accounts  of  wars  and 
industrial  combinations  have  been  relegated  to  the  second  page. 

It  is  well  known  to  scientists  that  the  existence  of  all 
animal  life  and  hence  of  the  human  race  upon  the  globe  is 
dependent  upon  the  fixation  of  carbon  through  the  influence  of 
the  sun’s  rays.  It  is  also  well  understood  that  the  nation’s 
material  prosperty  is  due  to  those  mechanical  inventions  that 
have  made  available  to  recent  generations  the  stored  up  fertility 
of  the  soil  and  the  stored  up  carbon  in  coal,  oil,  and  gas.  How 
the  conquest  of  Asia,  Africa,  and  South  America  may  affect  the 
world  at  large  no  one  can  with  certainty  predict,  but  it  seems 
reasonably  certain  that  so  far  as  the  United  States  is  concerned 
trapping  carbon  or  bottling  sunshine  is  to  be  a much  greater 
problem  than  it  has  been  in  the  past. 


63 


Does  this  mean  that  famine  stares  us  in  the  face?  Does  the 
fate  of  Eg'jpt,  Greece,  and  Rome  await  us?  Such  an  inference 
is  by  no  means  necessary.  I am  no  pessimist.  The  human  race 
has  solved  its  problems  as  it  has  come  to  them  with  varying-  de- 
g-rees  of  success,  but  generally  for  the  better.  During  the  past 
two  hundred  and  fifty  years,  this  nation  has  solved  some  of  the 
greatest  problems  of  the  race.  The  nation  has  greater  problems 
to  solve  than  it  has  yet  encountered,  but  it  was  never  before  so 
well  able  to  solve  them.  We  need  have  no  hesitation  rbout  our 
posterity.  In  all  probabilities  they  will  attend  to  tht^r  affairs 
better  than  we  have  attended  to  ours.  All  that  is  here  asserted 
is  that  during  the  coming  generations,  men  will  be  needed  who 
have  delved  deeply  into  the  sciences  relating  to  life.  The  prob- 
lem will  not  be  so  much  the  methods  of  harvesting,  manufac- 
turing, and  marketing  the  one  blade  that  now  grows  but  rather 
what  are  the  life  processes  by  which  two  blades  may  be  made  to 
grow.  To  the  men  who  have  prepared  themselves  to  solve  these 
problems  of  life  will  come  the  opportunities  of  the  future. 

It  is  curious  to  note  how  unconsciously  conscious  the  nation 
is  concerning  this  matter.  In  the  very  years  when  its  soil  was 
yielding  her  harvests  most  abundandtly.  Congress  passed  laws 
which  have  started  the  most  stupendous  enterprise  for  scientfic 
reseach  relating  to  the  life  and  welfare  of  the  nation  that  the 
world  has  ever  seen.  The  federal  government  this  year  appro- 
priated for  the  work  of  its  Department  of  Agriculture,  including 
the  state  experiment  stations,  over  four  and  one-half  million 
dollars,  to  say  nothing  of  the  provisiondhat  is  made  for  teaching 
or  that  is  made  by  the  several  states  to  the  same  objects.  Even 
before  there  has  come  an  apparently  pressing  demand  for  it,  the 
nation  is  deep  into  the  work. 

This,  then,  is  the  message  which  I bring  to  the  young  men 
of  today, — the  nation’s  workers  of  tomorrow.  The  Colleges  of 
Agriculture  are  teaching  the  sciences  relating  to  life  in  a practi- 
cal manner,  so  that  one  may  become  useful  both  to  himself  and  t 
mankind.  It  is  an  education  for  agriculture,  hi  agriculture, 
hy  agriculture.  It  is  a sound  education  worthy  of  the  d' 
intellect.  The  present  and  the  future  demand  men  prepa 
solve  the  greatest  of  problems, — the  problems  which  concern 
living  things.  Who  knows  why  clay  soils  are  sticky,  and  sandy 
soils  are  not?  Who  can  answer  this  fundamental  fact  with 


64 


which  the  farmer  is  daily  associated?  Why  can  not  a stalk  of 
Indian  corn  be  successfully  matured  in  a pot?  Whoever  answers 
this,  answer  some  of  the  fundamental  but  still  unknown  ques- 
tions concerning-  plant  g-rowth.  One  acre  in  every  three  that  is 
plov^ed  in  the  United  States  is  planted  to  Indian  corn.  If  all  the 
pig-  iron  mined  in  the  United  States  had  been  made  into  steel 
rails  in  the  record  breaking-  year  of  1899,  they  would  not  have 
purchased  the  corn  crop  the  same  year.  Yet  each  year  one-fifth 
of  this  g-reat  crop  is  lost  in  the  curing-.  He  who  g-ives  the  rea- 
sons and  applies  the  remedy,  will  acquire  fame  and  the  g-ratitude 
of  his  fellowmen.  Neither  may  the  value  be  placed  upon  the 
results  which  may  come  from  him  who  chang-es  the  chemical 
composition  of  this  beneficent  g-rain.  Of  two  cows  treated 
exactly  alike  as  far  as  human  endeavor  is  concerned,  one  will 
produce  300  pounds  of  butter  and  the  other  150  pounds.  He 
who  solves  this  mystery  will  solve  the  mystery  of  the  mysteries. 

Notwithstanding-  the  improvement  in  labor  saving-  ma- 
chinery, the  g-reatest  endeavor  of  the  human  race  is  still  to  pro- 
duce food.  If  a penny  saved  is, a penny  earned,  what  shall  we 
say  of  him  who  makes  the  potential  energ-y  of  this  vast  force 
more  available.  Three  centuries  ag-o,  the  yield  of  wheat  in  Eng- 
land is  said  to  have  been  not  more  than  six  bushels  per  acre. 
The  same  soil  is  rained  upon  by  the  same  rains  and  sunned  by 
the  same  sun,  yet  to-day  the  yield  is  thirty  bushels.  Who  in  this 
country  will  point  the  way  to  sixty  bushels  of  wheat  instead  of 
twelve  or  one  hundred  bushels  of  corn  instead  of  twenty-five? 

The  problems  are  unlimited  but  the  greatest  of  them  are  yet 
beyond  the  vision  of  man.  To  him  who  has  prepared  himself 
to  solve  these  life  problems,  will  come  the  opportunities  of  the 
future.  The  world  waits  for  him.  Its  rewards  will  not  be 
meagre. 


